Young people in Portage la Prairie who are at risk of homelessness or need mental health and addictions support will soon have a new place to turn, thanks to a $400,000 investment from the Manitoba government.
The province is expanding its Huddle initiative to Portage la Prairie, offering integrated care and services for youth aged 12 to 29.
The new Huddle site will be co-located with the Portage la Prairie Community Revitalization Corporation’s (PCRC) current Youth Connect programming, bringing multiple supports into one location.
Meeting youth where they’re at
Housing, Addictions and Homelessness Minister Bernadette Smith says it’s about putting the right resources in the right place.
“It is important for our youth to have a place to go and have access to the supports that they need when they need it,” notes Smith. “We are not using a one-size-fits-all approach to care, we are working with young people to meet them where they are at and support them through their mental health or addictions journey.”
Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine adds the program is especially important for youth transitioning out of government care.
“Youth transitioning out of care face additional challenges as they learn to navigate the systems meant to support them, which leaves them at risk of falling through the cracks,” says Fontaine. “Youth Connect can help give them the supports needed to land on their feet and build a good future for themselves in their communities.”
A major step forward for Portage
Mari Kozar, executive director of the PCRC, says the funding is a significant boost for local efforts.
“We’ve been working obviously on our youth hub project here in Portage la Prairie and we will be enhancing that major project with this Huddle funding,” says Kozar. “Becoming a Huddle site is very exciting for our community. This will take us to the next level of integrated services and build in some primary care supports which are really needed for youth.”
Accessible care, all in one place
Kozar explains the Huddle model makes it easier for youth to access vital care without barriers.
“Huddle is a network of youth hubs around Manitoba, and their goal is to make it faster and safer and easier for youth ages 12 to 29 to access mental health supports and overall wellness services and all in one place,” she continues. “We’re excited to tap into the network too, so that gives us extra support for the project and then we can liaise with other sites in the province and hear what they’re doing.”
Tailored for the community’s needs
While the Huddle site is a new addition, it’s rooted in the PCRC’s ongoing work.
“This will be a new project, but it will be tethered to our current youth hub project,” remarks Kozar.
She says the demand for youth services in Portage is strong and growing.
“We’ve seen a lot of youth come in through the door at our current youth hub project and we know that they need lots of extra supports and they need connection to services that they haven’t had,” she adds. “This will open the door to help us connect them further definitely within the healthcare system, but also just enhance what we can offer them.”
Looking ahead
Kozar says Huddle sites across the province are already showing results and she’s optimistic about what the expansion means locally.
“We’ve seen a lot of stats come out of other Huddle sites that year over year they’re just seeing more and more youth access their services when they know that they’re available and that they have somewhere that they can go to receive services immediately,” she notes.
And for Kozar and the team at PCRC, it’s the result of hard work behind the scenes.
“We’re really excited about the funding,” she mentions. “We work really hard to submit proposals and work towards bringing in further support to our communities.”
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