A new home in Saskatoon aims to offer unconditional support for at-risk youth while using a harm reduction model.
Prairie Harm Reduction (PHR) and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Social Services have partnered to launch Michael’s Place, a “semi-independent living environment” for male-identifying young people aged 16 to 21.
It’s designed specifically for young people experiencing substance and behavioural issues. The home can house five people.
“We really look at building that relationship and having a positive place of safety rather than focusing really heavily on routine and structure,” said Kayla DeMong, PHR’s executive director.
The home in the Parkridge neighbourhood doesn’t have curfews. Youth are free to come and go, though they keep in touch with Michael’s Place workers. The home is staffed 24 hours a day by people with social work, addictions counselling and other professional backgrounds.
The home is designed to be a centralized point of support and care for complex behavioural and mental health needs.
“If they’re actively using substances, their placement can be maintained. They won’t be removed for substance use,” DeMong said.
However, residents are encouraged to deal with their substance use once ready.
“These youth, many of them have been in care since they’ve been very little,” DeMong said. “Most of them have not maintained a stable placement their whole entire life, so they’ve been passed around a lot.”
Michael’s Place has already opened. PHR and the ministry have been operating on a temporary contractual basis for close to a year, said DeMong.
The program has now been made permanent and is slated to receive $669,000 in the 2022-23 fiscal year, according to a Saskatchewan government news release.
The provincial government plans to “continue to evaluate the outcomes,” according to Mitch Tremblay, executive director of community services with child and family programs in the Ministry of Social Services.
“It’s not going to be the solution for all addictions issues in young people,” Tremblay said.
“But it is targeted for youth that are in care with us and we’ve identified that they’re struggling in maintaining a stable residence due to addictions and mental health.”
Marie Agioritis is the Saskatchewan lead for Moms Stop the Harm. The organization advocates for harm reduction initiatives and is made up of family members of overdose victims.
“Maybe we’d have a lot less members in our organization nationally if more initiatives like this were out there when our kids were suffering,” she said.
PHR also runs a facility on 20th Street West, where a supervised consumption site remains unfunded by the Saskatchewan government.
Budget day in Saskatchewan is expected on March 23.