Prince George City Council approved a one-year temporary use permit for a five-bedroom youth mental health facility on Monday.
The facility would create 15-20 full-time jobs and offer up to five youths in need of specialized mental health support with a two or three month stay.
“It is a really amazing, intensive intervention program so that kids can be successful in their daily lives when they are struggling with mental health issues that are preventing them from regulating appropriately, being able to attend school every day, things like that,” Laura Weller, the Chair of the District Parent Advisory Council explained to My PG Now. “It is an excellent program… there is an absolute need.”
While Weller did not have an estimate on how many kids in the community could benefit from a service like this, she said the ease of having a facility like this so close to home instead of in the lower mainland can make the choice much easier for kids and their parents.
“The Maples program is designed to provide skills to the kids to prevent crisis,” she explained. “Usually when you have mental health issues in your family you are struggling to deal with them and keep a lid on things until you are in crisis, whether that is at the hospital or with the RCMP – it is not ideal.”
“Mental health continues to be a concern for society and youth in particular, and we are going to need more supports like this,” Weller said.
Council’s decision to approve the facility was not unanimous, passing in a 5-3 vote, and the proposal received 40 letters – 38 of which were opposed.
You can read more about the facility here.
–With files from Darin Bain
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