A mental health therapist in Northern Saskatchewan says crystal meth is continuing to make its way through the province's remote communities and resources to stop it aren't keeping up.
"It's like we can't catch up to this problem, we can't get ahead of it," Cindy Laliberte, who lives on the Flying Dust First Nation, said. "Current services like the RCMP and the health practitioners, they're doing the best they can, but somehow it isn't enough."
She's searching for solutions.
Laliberte has worked in many communities around Flying Dust, including Black Lake, Kinistin Saulteaux Nation, Thunderchild First Nation, Onion Lake and Big Island Lake.
Her own family has been affected by the drug. Her son was called to help after a suicide in his community two years ago. He had to cut the hanged woman down.
"Within a week, he started using crystal meth and alcohol as a way to cope."
He's in custody now. Laliberte said it's complicated to balance supporting her son, his children and the communities she works with, especially when she sees similar scenarios playing out.
Sometimes, she drives people to health care centres herself. Other times she has to rely on the RCMP. Laliberte said the policies aren't clear for which professional is responsible for what.
She said that while health practitioners might be trying their best, they don't appear equipped to handle patients affected by crystal meth.
Laliberte identified frustrations with on-call staff.
She said people with apparent serious suicidal tendencies have been turned away. Others have been refused referral because there's not enough beds.
The province needs specific emergency, detox and treatment facilities dedicated to meth patients, she said.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority does not have a policy specifically for meth-affected patients who arrive at the ER in Regina or Saskatoon.
Laliberte said that in addition to more money, remote communities need permanent resources. Mental health therapists and other healthcare professionals — like her — are often parachuted into communities during crisis, but they eventually leave.
She said the only option to handle people high on meth in isolated fly-in communities are the small RCMP detachments, which leads to arrests of people dealing with psychosis or violence.
The situation is further complicated by a lack of transportation to a centre for stabilization or assessment — all of which are at least a flight away.
Laliberte said it seemed like the crisis emerged "out of nowhere." Then she started researching and found the provincial crystal meth strategy unveiled in 2005.
"They identified target populations which were youth, Aboriginal people, street people and people who lived up in the north," she said, adding it called for a focus on prevention, treatment, education, reducing availability of the drug. "That was 15 years ago...what has happened in all these four areas?"
She said it doesn't feel like much.
Searching for solutions
Allison Morgan is a newly-registered social worker, having just graduated in December. She's seen first-hand the prevalence of meth and so have her peers.
She spent her last semester working in corrections. She and her peers who worked in housing, non-profits and health met biweekly. For the most part they talked about meth, she said.
Last November, Morgan helped organize a half-day presentation involving a police officer, a social worker, a mom and a former addict.
She said there was an overwhelming interest in the event. Now, an interdisciplinary planning committee is planning something bigger.
"You don't always think that the fire department is experiencing the crystal meth crisis, just as teachers are, and police, and social workers," she said. They're inviting people from all backgrounds to come and talk about solutions.
"There's no one size fits all answer, so it's what are you doing that's working for you and can we share that?"
Laliberte is also a registered social worker. She believes the upcoming conference will be a critical step forward.
Province put out tender for solutions
"The increasing use of crystal meth is presenting challenges in terms of how best to meet the needs of these individuals," said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health in an email.
They said that in collaboration with the Saskatchewan Health Authority, about 50 new pre-and post-addiction treatment beds are expected to come this year — as promised in last year's budget. Regarding hospital support, a Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine clinic opened in Prince Albert in November 2019. Two are expected to open in Saskatoon and Regina.
A portion of federal money — $5 million from the Emergency Treatment Fund — is being put toward "crystal methamphetamine-specific resources and training, in order to increase capacity of health care professionals to treat patients who use this drug," the spokesperson wrote.
In September, the government put out a request for applications that called for innovative treatment solutions to "improve rural and remote treatment services for persons with opioid or crystal methamphetamine addiction."
The tender closed in October and has not yet been awarded. They said the government is "committed to improving the way it responds to mental health and addictions issues."
Image courtesy RCMP.
