Providing flexibility and responsiveness for individuals with mental illness, with the specific services they need when and where they need them. This is just one way the new Community Recovery Team will assist individuals with mental health issues and addictions.

The team was launched in Weyburn by the Saskatchewan Health Authority on Monday, and it will serve the entire former Sun Country health region. Rob Stephenson, Director of Mental Health & Addiction Services for the Southeast Area was in attendance to bring greetings from Minister Duncan and on behalf of the Saskatchewan Health Authority.

The province launched eight Community Recovery Teams in all, to provide more intensive supports for people living with complex, persistent mental health challenges.

“The care is provided by a multi-disciplinary team,” explained Theresa Girardin, Mental Health & Additions Supervisor with the SHA Recovery Services Program. “We have a team lead, we have Mental Health Therapists, an Addiction Counsellor, an Occupational Therapist, as well as Nurses, providing the recovery services for the entire former Sun Country region.”

She said the Addition Counsellor and Occupational Therapist will be dedicated to working with these individuals. Six mental health nurses will also include these clients in their caseloads.

“It allows for a seamless transition from high to low-intensity care rather than having to shift that client to a different care provider or a different program once they’re feeling better,” she added.

Girardin said the Flexible Assertive Community Treatment model helps the team to provide patient-centred care, as an enhancement to their current services.

“There was federal funding that was made available to enhance our resources so we were able to hire more staff,” she said.

In fact, the province has dedicated $4.2 million in targeted funding to support this initiative.

She noted it’s not just the mental illness an individual is often coping with when they’re diagnosed.

“There’s also issues a lot of the times with completing skills of daily living, some of their struggles include managing their home, managing their finances, personal hygiene, organizing things,” she explained. “People sometimes have weaker social skills and are vulnerable in society. They also sometimes have fewer social contacts, relationships or close friends, some have difficulty securing safe, affordable housing. Few have paid employment at some times, and there’s also a segment of this group who do not feel they have an illness at all so there’s also some resistance to treatment.”

Girardin said, depending on the case, referrals for the team’s care can come through the individual or their family, the police, a General Practitioner or Nurse Practitioner.

“Some people do come seeking the assistance, some people it would be because they’re not doing well with their illness and they’ve had a relapse and it’s clear they need some additional support to what they’ve had in the past,” she explained. “It’s very dependent on the situation.”

With the number of small rural communities in the area, Girardin said the resources have been limited.
“These additional resources, we’re really hoping, are going to be able to meet those clients in their home communities,” she said. “The desired outcome of the service is improved psycho-social functioning, improved quality of life, reduced hospitalizations and clients successfully achieving their recovery goals.”

Girardin added around 20 per cent of the current mental health and addiction case loads in the region require the services of the Community Recovery Team.