NDP MLA Meara Conway says Saskatchewan must support addiction programs doing critical front-line work after visiting Residents and Recovery in Lloydminster on May 2.
“Services are really thin right now,” said Conway, the NDP’s shadow minister for rural and remote health. “Addiction and mental health are huge issues for all of our communities, including here in Lloydminster.”
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She met with Tyler Lorenz, CEO of Residents and Recovery, and spent nearly an hour hearing about the centre’s services and challenges.
“It’s nice to have MLAs show interest in what we’re doing,” said Lorenz. “We provide a valuable service to the community and the province.”
Furthermore, the lack of government support for this program surprised Conway.
“It was shocking to see how much they do with the little support they receive from the government,” she said. “There are solutions out there if we could get behind resourcing them.”
One solution discussed was a program that helps pregnant women in prison transition into community care.
“There really aren’t other programs to transition out of incarceration for individuals like this,” said Lorenz. “Giving birth in the community is much safer.”
Conway said the program could help families and the system.
“We’d take them out of the very expensive, not very therapeutic context of a jail,” she said. “A newborn baby can be extremely motivating for mothers.”
Lorenz said the program could bring real results.
“The child is born into this world with a mom that is in recovery and not using,” he said. “Just the attachment piece alone makes a difference.”
Conway reflected on her time as a lawyer and her experiences with clients dealing with difficult family situations.
“I know firsthand from my work in legal aid that keeping families together is an incredible motivator when you’re dealing with people who are struggling with addiction.”
Funding the program
Funding remains a challenge, however, Lorenz said changes to Jordan’s Principle left some families unsupported. Jordan’s principal aims to address inequities and ensure First Nations children receive the necessary supports and services they need, when they need them.
“They did it without any notice to anybody,” he said. “It cost us a significant amount to support those families without funding.”
“We didn’t discharge the families. It wouldn’t be ethical,” said Lorenz, noting the program primarily supports Indigenous families.
“Nine out of ten, I understand, are Indigenous,” said Conway. “This is a no-brainer program. We should be getting behind it with all of our strength.”
Meanwhile, Residents and Recovery sent a formal proposal to the province for funding.
“We’re hoping it’ll be given the consideration it deserves,” Lorenz said.
Additionally, Conway pushed back on the idea of forced addiction treatment.
“People need to feel motivated,” she said. “One of the biggest motivators is hope and keeping families together.”
Lorenz agreed.
“We leverage the motivation a mom has to do recovery,” he said. “There aren’t a lot of organizations out there doing it.”
Conway said she plans to take what she learned back to Regina and the rest of the party.
“We need to be doing more,” she said. “There are good folks on the ground across the province doing good work. But we need to support them.”
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