As fall approaches, mental health and addictions continue to be a major concern in northern B.C, and MLA Claire Rattée said there’s a mix of progress and setbacks.
The most positive development, Rattée said, is the upcoming opening of a new treatment centre. It will be the first of its kind in the Northern Health region, adding 12 beds to start. Until now, the only publicly funded option has been seven youth beds in Prince George, far away from most communities.
She credits the First Nations Alliance for driving the project forward, but is disappointed the province wasn’t the one to take the lead. For her, the new centre is welcome, but it’s just a beginning. Rattée stresses that the need in northern communities is far greater than what 12 beds can provide.
At the same time, she said a recent loss has left Terrace worse off. Earlier this year, the virtual opioid agonist treatment clinic closed after its contract was not renewed. The service was moved to Kitimat, leaving Terrace without a program that many relied on.
“We have lost the virtual opioid agonist treatment clinic for Terrace,” Rattée said. “They decided to not renew that contract, and we have it now in Kitimat, but obviously we know the greater need is in Terrace.”
For Rattée, this decision highlights the region’s biggest challenge- access. Northern Health covers a vast area, however, there are only seven publicly funded treatment beds available. With limited mental health services, people often end up having longer wait times or not getting help at all.
“It’s quite frustrating that we haven’t had development in Terrace,” Rattée said. “We need to ensure that we’re expanding access for people and making it as low-barrier as possible.”
Rattée said mental health still isn’t treated as seriously as other healthcare. Without benefits, many people can’t afford counselling or therapy, leaving them with no options. She says that needs to change if the province wants to make progress.
“We haven’t treated mental healthcare like healthcare in this province, and mental healthcare is healthcare,” Rattée said.
Looking ahead to the fall session, Rattée said her focus will be on pushing for more resources and fairer funding for the north. Alongside treatment and recovery, she also points to housing as part of the equation. In particular, she says Kitimat’s cold-weather shelter must be funded year-round so people aren’t left sleeping outside in unsafe conditions.
“It’s not humane for people to be sleeping in these kinds of conditions outside,” Rattée said.
Rattée will keep pushing the province, with mental health and addictions at the top of her list this fall. She believes northern communities have been left behind for too long and says they can’t afford to wait any longer for real support.
