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The Manitoba government has announced a new initiative aimed at helping individuals with serious, long-term mental health disorders by providing comprehensive support to ensure they remain housed.
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Housing, Addictions and Homelessness Minister Bernadette Smith, who is also responsible for mental health, made the announcement Wednesday, emphasizing the need for a variety of services to meet the needs of people with complex mental health disorders.
Smith said the initiative would build sustainable services by offering community-based support to help vulnerable Manitobans avoid hospitalizations and maintain stability in their homes. The $4.3-million program will create a coordination hub and expand mental health care, adding 22 new mental health workers to the system.
The program will also enable Shared Health to establish two new interdisciplinary teams based on the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) model. These teams will provide care and support to up to 300 individuals with severe mental illnesses in community settings. The ACT model delivers services such as mental health and addiction treatment, crisis intervention, medication management, and housing support. This community-based approach has been shown to reduce hospital visits and improve the stability of individuals with complex mental health needs.
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Arlene MacLennan, director of health services for adult outpatient mental health and addictions at Shared Health, noted that these teams will fill a gap in Winnipeg’s mental health services, supporting people with co-occurring mental health and addiction issues. She pointed out that the ACT model has been effective in other regions and has led to reduced emergency room visits and better management of mental health and substance use problems.
The initiative also includes the creation of a Flexible Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) hub. This hub will provide assessments for individuals in both community and hospital settings, aiming to standardize ACT services across Manitoba. Smith described this investment as a first step toward improving access to mental health care and housing support throughout the province.
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