By Cheryl Jahn

Treatment a challenge in rural BC

Mar 22, 2023 | 4:09 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – Treatment.

That was the theme at the forum aimed at engaging Firsts Nations communities … rural and remote … that are dealing with addiction in their communities. And the panel heard loud and clear that transportation was a major hurdle to recovery.

“Especially in the remote communities that are going to have to have airfare flights, everything out, they’re trying to navigate airports, customs, Security, going through all of those things, as well as trying to go into a new location for healing that they have no idea what it’s going to be like with no coping mechanisms or anything in place and no support,” explains Jennifer Hearn, Health and Wellness Manager, Taku River Tlingit First Nation. “Right. So I often get phone calls because people are struggling.”

The forum is hosted by the First Nations Health Authority, which is aware of the remoteness of many communities and is making strides to address those challenges.

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“We do have patient travel options and we do have a team that will support and if any community is having challenges accessing that support, they can reach into our northern team at FNHA and we can connect with a regional team and make that an easier transition. And we’re looking at also staffing two spots that will assist communities when they do have those challenges,” says Julie Morrison, the VP of Operations, First Nations Health Authority.

Most of the attendees are from rural and remote communities and, while transportation is a challenge, so is the lack of support.

“If we’re looking at the mental health and the challenges of the winter, because there’s only six and a half hours of daylight in some of the areas that we’re in,” says Hearn. “And so if there are no mental health services provided in the community and no capacity and no workers with those added stressors, what are you going to get from that? Right. So it just a lot of times creates a lot more isolation, a lot more dependence on chemicals or behaviours to just kind of cope and manage to get through. So and then some of them don’t even have somebody to call to ask for that ride to the airport, which is 2 hours away.”

Another deficit identified for the panel is the lack of support services for those lucky enough to get access to treatment, post-treatment.

“Treatment is and is really hard to find and get into at the right time,” says Morrison. “And I really believe that people need to go in and whenever they feel the need to and it may not work the first time. Maybe it works the second time or third time, we don’t know. But I think everyone deserves that opportunity when they feel like the time is right.”

Morrison says the mission of this event is to educate communities about the options available and identify gaps.