A shortage of suitable housing for mentally ill or disabled Flin Flonners has health officials concerned.
Through its mental health program, the Northern Health Region assists residents with mental problems find rental accommodations.
“We don’t maintain statistics that would accurately describe the housing shortfall, but anecdotally we have heard from others and experienced ourselves the increasing difficulty in finding appropriate housing,” said Dr. Shelley Rhyno, director of mental health for the NHR.
While there may be some apartments available for rent, they are not always free of health and safety concerns.
Stigma
It is also “certainly possible,” Dr. Rhyno said, that the stigma around mental illness is a factor in the situation.
Regardless of the reasons, she said the shortage is worrisome.
“With increasing numbers of individuals experiencing poor mental health across this country, and basic needs being a substantial risk factor, we need to pay attention to this trend,” Dr. Rhyno said.
Housing in Creighton and Denare Beach is not an option, as there is no housing partnership between the NHR and Saskatchewan’s health department.
And while the NHR can itself work to remedy other health-related issues, such as physician access or wait times, housing is beyond its scope.
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“We continue to advocate as a mental health service and a health region,” Dr. Rhyno said, “both within the community and at the table with Manitoba Health and the provincial government for substantial social change both in terms of adequate amounts of housing and better housing benefits.”
In cases where the wait to find housing is considerable, Dr. Rhyno said some individuals are choosing to relocate outside of Flin Flon.
Otherwise, “for every client who accesses our service, we advocate continually until such time as housing is secured,” she said. “Usually, individuals reside in a shelter until such time as we are able to find them what they need. The length of time spent waiting for a place to live other than a shelter tends to (vary).”
Fundamental
Dr. Rhyno said suitable housing is a fundamental component in the proper treatment of mentally ill or disabled people.
“We know that basic needs must be satisfied first in order for other interventions, such as those designed to assist individuals to learn to cope better with emotional distress, to have a positive impact on recovery outcomes,” she said. “We also know that unmet basic needs such as food and shelter are a risk factor for the onset of more serious mental health concerns.”
As worrisome as the housing shortage in Flin Flon is, Dr. Rhyno said the situation is more severe in The Pas.
Though there is no cross-border agreement in terms of housing, there is cooperation between Flin Flon and Creighton-Denare Beach in other areas of mental health services.
“Residents of our neighbouring (Saskatchewan) communities who require mental health services access those services in Creighton as part of the Mamawetan Health Authority,” Dr. Rhyno said. “That being said, we have engaged in shared care in such cases where the expertise in mental health lies in Flin Flon versus Creighton, or vice-versa.”
