Working together for Change: A 10-year Mental Health and Addictions Plan for Saskatchewan guides and sets direction for mental health and addictions investments in the province. It includes 16 recommendations and 30 recommended actions to improve how the province responds to people with mental health and addictions issues.

This newsletter provides updates on the progress of the Action Plan recommendations, and highlights key initiatives underway.

Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan Newsletter

saskatchewan.ca

Summer 2019

Page 2: Record investment in mental health servicesPage 3: 2018-19 HighlightsPage 6: Mental health initiative piloted in five schools Page 7: Expanded Addictions Medicine in Prince AlbertPage 8: Saskatchewan Hospital North BattlefordPage 9: Indigenous youth mental health event in SaskatoonPage 10: Addictions campaigns

Inside

The province’s new state-of-the-art mental health treatment facility, Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford. Read more on page 8.

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Residents across Saskatchewan will have better access to mental health and addictions services following an increase in funding of nearly $30 million in the 2019-20 budget. This increase marks the largest commitment to mental health and addictions services in Saskatchewan history.The Ministry of Health will spend almost $402 million on new and existing mental health and addictions initiatives in 2019-20. Investments will support more than 140 new treatment beds, more counselling services and more staff.

Across government, over $417 million will be spent on mental health supports and services. Beyond the health sector, investments by other ministries include: • mental health resources in schools

(Education/school divisions);• supportive living and mental health

coordinator positions (Social Services);• family violence outreach, sexual assault

services, victims services (Justice);• Police and Crisis Teams (Corrections &

Policing and Health); and• Farm Stress Line (Agriculture)

Budget 2019-20: Record investment in mental health and addictions services

Key Initiatives:

• Three new Rapid Access to Addiction Medicine clinics in Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert will give people immediate access to treatment by multi-disciplinary teams.

• The Mental Health Assessment Unit at Royal University Hospital will become a permanent seven-bed Mental Health Short Stay Unit.

• Eighteen new mental health walk-in clinics will be launched across the province through Family Service Saskatchewan.

• New full-time staff will be hired – including providers to serve children and youth with mental health issues, Primary Care Counsellors, and nursing staff for urban emergency departments and the La Ronge Detox Centre.

140 New Treatment Beds Planned:

• 75 new residential support beds

• 50 new pre- and post-addiction treatment beds (doubling current capacity)

• 10 new in-patient addiction treatment beds in Pine Lodge (Indian Head)

• 6 new inpatient treatment beds in Calder Centre (Saskatoon)

• 6 new inpatient addictions beds for youth under 18 in southern Saskatchewan.

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Improving Mental Health and Addictions Services: Progress Updates

Improved access to community mental health and addictions supports

The Ministry of Health investments in mental health and addictions for 2018-19 focused on services for children and youth, community supports, and improving service delivery. A variety of new initiatives were launched to positively impact the people living in our province.

Eight Community Recovery Teams have been formed in communities across the province, including Regina, Prince Albert, North Battleford, Swift Current, Weyburn, Yorkton, Saskatoon and Moose Jaw. The Government of Saskatchewan committed more than $4 million in funding for CRTs in 2018-19.

CRTs use a holistic, team-based approach to help clients manage symptoms, avoid hospitalization, achieve their individual goals, and thrive in the community. The teams are made up of mental health professionals who provide intensive supports to individuals with complex, persistent mental health challenges. CRTs support MHAAP recommendation 5 – Increase community capacity to support peo-ple living with persistent and complex mental health and addictions issues, including housing and team-based supports.

Community Recovery Teams (CRTs) launched in Communities across SK

Four New Police and Crisis Teams (PACT) LaunchedPolice and Crisis Teams were launched in four more communities in 2018-19 (Prince Albert, North Battleford, Moose Jaw and Yorkton) building on the success of the initiative in Saskatoon and Regina. PACT pairs a police officer with a mental health worker to attend calls related to individuals experiencing a mental health and/or addictions related crisis. The goal of the service is to provide the right care to individuals who are better served in the community, avoiding inappropriate presentations to emergency departments or entry into the criminal justice system. PACT supports MHAAP recommendation 7 - Improve the response to the growing number of people with mental health and addic-tions issues coming into contact with police, courts and corrections.

Increased Funding for Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Training In 2018-19 the Ministry of Health provided new funding to the Saskatchewan Health Authority to coordinate instructor training for two courses: MHFA – Basic and MHFA – Adults Who Interact with Youth courses. MHFA provides practical training to human service providers who may come into contact with individuals who are experiencing a mental health crisis or addictions issue. The course, which is offered regularly across the province, is under the leadership of the Mental Health Commission of Canada curriculum. Since 2015-16, provincially trained Mental Health First Aid facilitators have given over 210 MHFA training sessions to more than 3,300 people across Saskatchewan.

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Targeted Physician Training In Child and Adolescence Mental HealthThis program was launched in 2018-19 with the aim of improving the capacity of physicians to recognize, assess and treat mental health conditions in children and youth. Training is provided by the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan and involves an intensive three-day in-person session, followed by six months of bi-weekly case based conference calls for participants. The first offering of this six-month course began in December 2018 with all available spaces filled. Currently, a total of four child psychiatrists and three family physicians are undergoing required facilitator training, in order to serve as faculty and deliver this program in Saskatchewan. This supports MHAAP Recommendation 3: Help primary health care providers fulfill their vital role as first contact and ongoing support for individuals with mental health and addictions issues.

Expansion of Roots of Hope to Meadow LakeIn 2018-19, the Ministry of Health funded the launch of a second Roots of Hope Suicide Prevention Project in the Meadow Lake. Roots of Hope is a suicide prevention research project offered by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, focused on the development and implementation of community led suicide prevention initiatives. In October 2018, a Roots of Hope Community Coordinator was hired and work is actively underway in Meadow Lake as well as in La Ronge. Funding in 2019-20 will expand the Roots of Hope project into the community of Buffalo Narrows. This investment supports MHAAP recommendation 8 – Build on existing programs that recognize the importance of healthy families and communities and positive environments for emotional development.

Increased Funding for Internet-delivered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (I-CBT)The Internet-delivered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (I-CBT) program provides online clinical treatment for adults dealing with anxiety and depression. Through the I-CBT program a client is connected to a therapist who communicates with and supports the client over an eight week period. Together they work through an online program that provides the client with the tools needed to manage the client’s particular mental health issue.

Improving Mental Health and Addictions Services: Progress Updates

Enhanced mental health and addiction services for children and youth

Improved mental health service delivery

As of May 31, 2019, 2,497 people have started the I-CBT Wellbeing Course with an 80 per cent completion rate.

26 per cent of clients said that I-CBT was the first form of Mental Health care received at the Online Therapy Unit.

95 per cent of clients would recommend the program to a friend.

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Improving Mental Health and Addictions Services: Progress Updates In 2018-19, funding from the Ministry of Health focused on expanding I-CBT in the province. A unit dedicated to providing online treatment was established in the Saskatchewan Health Authority, and funding was provided to the University of Regina Online Therapies Unit and an eight-week I-CBT course for alcohol misuse.

The I-CBT program is offered free to Saskatchewan residents. Individuals interested in the program can contact the University of Regina’s Online Therapy Unit at https://www.onlinetherapyuser.ca/. I-CBT supports MHAAP recommendation 2.2 – Provide online clinical treatments for depression and anxiety to increase accessibility to treatment.

More people accessing Take Home Naloxone (THN) ProgramSaskatchewan’s publicly-funded Take Home Naloxone program continues to expand, providing kits to those who may experience or witness an opioid overdose. Naloxone is an injectable medication used to help save the lives of those experiencing an opioid overdose. THN kits, education and training are currently available at no cost to the individual through the Saskatchewan Health Authority and Community-Based Organizations.

To date, more than 2,100 THN kits have been provided to individuals through this program with over 4,680 individuals having received education and training. Thanks to those who have completed this program, we know over 130 overdoses have been successfully reversed.

THN supports MHAAP recommendation 3 – Help primary health care providers fulfill their vital role as first contact and ongoing support for individuals with mental health and addictions issues. For a list of sites where THN kits can be provided for free to those who are likely to witness an overdose, and for more information on opioids, visit saskatchewan.ca/opioids.

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Mental health initiative piloted in five Saskatchewan schools Saskatchewan is taking steps to improve the mental health and well-being of students. Five schools across the province are participating in a new Mental Health Capacity Building (MHCB) pilot project aimed at building positive mental health in children, youth, families and community members. MHCB is being led by the Saskatchewan Health Authority with support from the Ministries of Health and Education. The school-based prevention and promotion program was recommended by the Children’s Advocate and was launched in 2018-19.

“Government, families, schools and communities need to work together to ensure the health and mental well-being of our province’s children and youth. I am proud of our government’s support of this pilot and look forward to seeing the benefits for our young residents.” MLA Don McMorris, Indian Head-Milestone – who was at the launch of the pilot at Greenall High School in Balgonie representing the Minister of Education, Gordon Wyant and Health Minister Jim Reiter.

Participating schools serve as resource hubs and give students access to a range of mental health promotion and programming through collaboration between schools, communities and health care providers.

As part of MHCB, school divisions received funding to hire staff members – including a School Coordinator and Wellness Promoter, to work in the pilot schools. They are responsible for delivering mental health programming, building competence in people who work with children and youth, and connecting students with community resources and supports.

The Government of Saskatchewan invested $1.2 million in 2018-19 for the Mental Health Capacity Building pilot sites with $600,000 of this funding coming from the Canada-Saskatchewan Bilateral Funding Agreement. This funding continues in 2019-20.

Pilot schools: • Dr. Martin LeBoldus Catholic High School (Regina)• Hector Thiboutot School (Sandy Bay)• North Battleford Comprehensive High School• John Paul II Collegiate (North Battleford)• Greenall High School (Balgonie)

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Residents of Prince Albert are now benefitting from improved access to addictions treatment services through the Enhanced Addictions Medicine Support initiative launched by the Ministry of Health in 2018-19. Through this initiative, a specialty physician team is currently delivering dedicated addiction medicine clinical hours in Prince Albert weekly, with 24-hour on call coverage provided at Victoria Hospital.

Before Enhanced Addictions Medicine support began, clients would typically spend 24 – 36 hours in the ICU to manage their physical illnesses. They would then start feeling the effects of withdrawal and in many cases would self-discharge before antibiotic therapy or other treatments were completed. Feedback from clients indicated that the fear of withdrawal from substances was greater than the fear of a physical illness that could take their life.

Managing clients with addiction issues is complex and not all family physicians feel prepared or comfortable prescribing medication to counteract the effects of withdrawal. Dr. Leo Lanoie is an Addiction Medicine Specialist who worked with members of Mental Health and Addictions Services in Prince Albert on a proposal to the Ministry of Health for Enhanced Addictions Medicine in Prince Albert. Access was seen as the ultimate priority for patients, families and providers, and these supports will complement other provincial efforts currently underway in northern communities.

In addition to direct patient care, the addiction medicine physicians are delivering regular professional development to other physicians and primary care providers through noon-hour lunch and learn training sessions on a variety of addictions-specific topics, including:

• What It Means To Be Addicted;

• The Sick Addict;

• Pain Management for Family Physicians; and

• Stimulants & Methamphetamine.

Annual funding is provided to the Saskatchewan Health Authority to better address addiction service pressures and to provide special consultation services to physicians, hospitals and other allied service professionals in Prince Albert and area. Funding in 2019-20 is geared towards expanding these supports into northern Saskatchewan so that more people experiencing addictions related issues can receive the care and supports they need.

Expanded Addictions Medicine services in Prince Albert

“We continue to work on expanding this initiative so that more people experiencing addictions can receive the care and support they need.”

-Dr. Leo Lanoie

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Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford

The new Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford (SHNB) officially opened its doors in March, replacing the province’s century-old psychiatric care facility. It now provides enhanced facilities and programming for patients and offenders living with mental health issues.

The facility has a total of 284 beds: 188 for psychiatric rehabilitation and a 96-room secure wing for offenders living with mental health issues. The new SHNB has 32 more psychiatric rehabilitation beds than the new facility to ensure patients in need of long-term psychiatric rehabilitation can receive care as quickly as possible. The secure unit for offenders with mental health issues will also improve their assessment, treatment and rehabilitation.

The project was a multi-ministry partnership between the Ministries of Health, Corrections and Policing and Central Services, along with the Saskatchewan Health Authority and SaskBuilds. It will help address mental health needs in the province in accordance with the Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan.

Premier Scott Moe and dignitaries attend the grand opening of SHNB on March 8, 2019.

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Indigenous youth mental health event in SaskatoonIn February, over 2,000 young people from both urban and on-reserve First Nations communities in Saskatchewan gathered in Saskatoon for Youth Mental Health Promotions Day. They engaged in cultural teachings and activities, participated in inspirational sessions, received mentoring, gained knowledge, developed skills and decreased stigma around asking for help with mental health challenges. Former NHL hockey star Jordin Tootoo attended as keynote speaker and MLA for Saskatoon Univeristy Eric Olauson represented the Government of Saskatchewan.

The Youth Mental Health Promotions Day event aligned with a number of the recommendations in the Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan:

• It served as an opportunity to work with First Nations and Métis people to plan and deliver mental health and addictions services that meet community needs.

• It focused community health initiatives on those who need it most and promoted better emotional health for children and youth in schools and communities.

• It helped reduce stigma and increase awareness of mental health and addictions issues.

“The Indigenous Youth Mental Health conference will build hope for the future, foster relationships with the community and build resiliency in each and every child who participates. I look forward to continued collaboration with our partners like Saskatoon Tribal Council as we work together to make our province’s mental health supports better for our residents.”

- MLA Eric Olauson

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Addictions Awareness Campaigns

Opioids and opioid-related deaths are an increasing public health concern in Saskatchewan and across Canada. An opioid overdose can happen to anyone, whether the drugs were obtained legally or illegally. It is important to know the signs of an opioid overdose and how you can prevent one from becoming fatal.Saskatchewan is working to raise public awareness of this issue.

People living with addictions are encouraged to seek treatment, and make use of harm reduction services such as Take Home Naloxone kits if they continue to use. Kits are available to people who use, their friends, family, or anyone who may witness an overdose through the Take Home Naloxone Program.

But recovery can look like this:

Crystal meth addiction can look like this:

Support Is Available

Crystal meth is extremely addictive and dangerous. It can cause permanent physical and mental damage. It can even be fatal.

Don’t let that happen. Recovery is possible. There is hope.

For information about services for people who use crystal meth and their families, call Healthline 811 or visit saskatchewan.ca/addictions

SASHE-0326F_Crystal Meth_Transit_Shelter_41x60.indd 1 2019-02-22 11:54 AM

For more information on mental health and addictions

issues, including how to access supports:

• Visit saskatchewan.ca/health or HealthLine Online at

healthlineonline.ca • Call HealthLine 811. Specially trained staff are available 24 hours a day to provide free mental health and addictions crisis support, in a safe and confidential manner.

A crystal meth awareness campaign was also launched to encourage people using crystal meth to seek recovery supports and to direct friends and families of crystal meth users where to find help.