ESTEVAN - The City of Estevan will submit a resolution to the upcoming Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) convention, calling for funding for mental health and social services.
City council approved the resolution's wording during Monday night's meeting. City manager Jeff Ward said this resolution was discussed among councillors to submit something for mental health and services to go along with community safety and well-being.
The city wants SUMA to advocate to the Government of Saskatchewan for provincial funding to support municipalities in delivering mental health and social services; develop a framework that ensures municipalities are adequately resourced for mental health and social service initiatives, in alignment with their respective capacities and needs; and commit to ongoing collaboration with municipalities, ensuring that the delivery of these services is both sustainable and effective in addressing community needs.
The motion notes that mental health and social service needs in Saskatchewan communities are increasing at an unprecedented rate, placing significant strain on local resources.
It goes on to say the provincial government is increasingly downloading responsibilities for mental health and social services to municipalities without providing adequate funding, and municipal governments are not equipped with the financial capacity or the specialized expertise to manage these essential services independently.
The resolution also says insufficient provincial support for mental health and social services contributes to worsening social issues, including homelessness, addictions, crime and strain on public safety resources.
The initial resolution called for increased funding, but Coun. Shelly Veroba said she wanted the wording changed to reflect a desire for funding in general.
"Currently we don't receive any funding that's actually directed right towards provincial funding for mental health and addiction services," said Veroba.
The city doesn't want to add services for mental health, she said, because this is a provincial mandate, but right now the city is funding such efforts as the Estevan Public Youth Centre, which Veroba said Estevan desperately needs, but Veroba believes it should be funded by the province.
"If they're not going to fund certain things like that, for every community that has a need, then they should provide some sort of funding in some sort of fashion where it's aligned specifically for that, and that's where we spend the money," said Veroba.
In order for the community to be safe, Veroba said services need to be in place for the most vulnerable people.
