New mental health beds open in Saskatchewan

More than 70 new mental health beds are now operating in Saskatchewan communities.

The beds were announced in the 2019-20 budget, with $6 million in funding over the past two years.

Supportive residential beds are designed to assist people with mental health challenges live in the community instead of in emergency rooms, police cells, homeless shelters or hospitals.

In Regina, the Phoenix Residential Society has 10 intensive residential mental health beds and 15 less intensive residential mental health beds.

In Saskatoon, Lighthouse Supported Living offers five intensive beds and 20 less intensive beds. The Crisis Intervention Service/Saskatchewan Native Rental has five intensive mental health beds, and the YWCA provides four less intensive beds.

In North Battleford, the Edwards Residential Society is providing eight less intensive beds.

Those 67 beds already are operating.

In Prince Albert, the YWCA is to provide six intensive residential mental health beds and four less intensive beds starting in March.

“People living with and recovering from mental illness sometimes experience housing insecurity that is a barrier to their recovery,” Colleen Quinlan, the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s executive director of mental health and addictions-urban, said in a media release.

“The organizations providing these supported living arrangements are welcoming and understand the challenges people living with a severe mental illness face. They can support individuals as they focus on recovery goals that maintain optimal living, and help them work through barriers that challenge their stability.”