Image Credit: Kent Simmonds / CFJC Today

By Dylana Kneeshaw

MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE

Location and hiring changes coming for mental health and substance use services in Kamloops

Mar 29, 2022 | 4:32 PM

KAMLOOPS — Interior Health is making changes this spring to its mental health and substance use services in Kamloops.

The health authority will be expanding its use of the existing clinical building along Lansdowne Street to phase in nursing, primary care, and substance use treatment programs.

“It really lines with the evidence that having a comprehensive, full set of services in one, easy-to-access location makes it much more likely that people will get the care that they need,” says IH Clinical Operations Manager for Mental Health Rae Samson.

Samson says mobile supervised consumption service currently offered out of an RV will be continued through the brick and mortar location. While health services through Interior Health’s King Street facility will also be moved.

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“We’re moving the services from King Street, we hope to retain the lease on that property for the time being just to look at what the needs are over time,” explains Samson. “And with the mobile, the mobile will go back into fleet services – the actual RV.”

She adds that one of the hopes they have with the changes is that the amount of service options and programs available will reach more people who may not have felt comfortable accessing the mobile site, or other facilities in the past.

“We’ve added a new service recently which is much more discreet, so really intended for people that may not want to come to any of our sites, and may really prefer to get their care through virtual options.”

Interior Health is also adding 17 new positions around Kamloops – which Samson says will focus on youth services dealing with mental health and substance use.

“We’ve got a new early psychosis intervention program, we have new youth substance use connections at Royal Inland (Hospital), we’ve got new youth substance use counsellors, additional services into our youth intensive case management program.”

Given the Lansdowne centre’s location in downtown Kamloops, Interior Health says it has engaged with neighbouring businesses to mitigate impacts to them during the transition. And Samson recognizes that to keep up a good relationship, those conversations will have to continue as more services are added.

“So we’re wanting to keep that ongoing dialogue and we look at expanding our programming here,” says Samson.

There’s no set date for when all the services will be consolidated or when all 17 of the new positions will be filled, but Interior Health plans to phase in the adjustments over the next several months as renovations and hiring occur.