City Urged to Press Province on Training, Peer Support

“Many of our frontline staff are not equipped with the trauma-informed de-escalation practices that they need to do this really complex, really stressful work,” Merrick said. “Our agencies don’t have the funding to pay for it. We don’t necessarily have access to trainers in the North to provide this training.”

She said the issue goes beyond individual organizations and requires advocacy at higher levels of government.

“So we were coming to City Council to say, ‘We know this is a problem. We know that the province should be looking after it.’ How do we best advocate to the province so that the voices of the North are heard?”

Merrick’s research points to the growing challenges faced by agencies and workers tasked with responding to some of the community’s most difficult social issues. Trauma-informed care focuses on understanding the effects of trauma and adapting services accordingly, while de-escalation techniques help workers safely manage situations involving emotional distress, mental health crises or conflict.

According to Merrick, many organizations recognize the importance of such training, but lack the financial resources and access to specialized instructors needed to provide it consistently.

Another key recommendation emerging from the research is the need for greater peer involvement in service delivery. Peer support workers are individuals who have lived experience with issues such as addiction, homelessness or mental health struggles and use that experience to help others navigate similar challenges.

Merrick said participants in the study repeatedly emphasized the value of peer-led and peer-informed approaches. People seeking help often feel better understood and more comfortable engaging with services when support comes from someone who has faced similar circumstances.

However, the suggestion raised questions among some members of council about who should bear responsibility for funding such initiatives.

Councillor Cori Ramsay acknowledged the importance of the ideas being presented but noted municipalities face significant limitations when it comes to funding social programs.

“You know, some of the suggestions tonight were for the local government to consider peer recognition, hiring peer peers to help support the network,” Ramsay said. “That’s just not something that the property tax system was ever designed to fund.”

Her comments reflected a concern that has become increasingly common in municipalities across British Columbia, where local governments often find themselves dealing with the effects of broader social challenges despite having limited authority over healthcare, housing, addiction treatment and social services.

While Merrick agreed many of the issues raised fall under provincial jurisdiction, she argued municipalities still experience the consequences when gaps in the system remain unresolved.

“We fully recognize that having more access to training is not the responsibility of the City of Prince George,” she said. “Having greater co-ordination around policies, including restrictive access, is not necessarily the jurisdiction of the City of Prince George.”

But Merrick said local governments pay a price when services and supports are inadequate.

“When these things are not happening, the city of Prince George pays the cost,” she said. “The city of Prince George pays a cost in the number of calls to bylaw, the number of emergency calls, the harms that have happened to our city.”

She added that elected officials are often on the receiving end of public frustration when residents feel social issues are not being adequately addressed.

“The city of Prince George also pays for this because they get a whole lot of letters and a whole lot of disgruntled citizens.”

The exchange highlighted an ongoing tension facing municipalities throughout the province. While cities are frequently expected to respond to visible social issues, the resources and policy tools needed to fully address those challenges often rest with provincial ministries and health authorities.

Ramsay said local governments must be careful not to assume responsibilities that properly belong elsewhere.

“You know, I think there’s an expectation from user groups that when the system is failing, that the City step up and meet the needs,” she said.

“And, you know, it begs the question of jurisdiction, especially when it comes to a lot of social issues that are under the responsibility and purview of the province.”

While she acknowledged municipalities could potentially take on additional roles, doing so would come at a cost.

“Can the city take those on? Perhaps, but it means giving something up,” Ramsay said.

She also warned that if municipalities fill funding gaps left by senior governments, there is a risk those governments may become less inclined to address the issues themselves.

“But the second we do, it means that the province will say, ‘Okay, thanks.’ So I think we really have to, as a community, push back and just demand that these programs and funding streams be funded as they should, especially when it’s impacting so many communities across British Columbia.”

Despite differing perspectives on who should fund solutions, there appeared to be broad agreement around many of the challenges identified in Merrick’s research.

One area that drew particular support was the concept of a navigation hub, an idea previously brought before council.

Navigation hubs are designed to help individuals access multiple services through a single point of contact, reducing the need to navigate a complex network of agencies and programs independently. Supporters argue such centres can improve coordination among service providers and make it easier for people to find the help they need.

Merrick said the findings from Places of Belonging strongly support the need for such a facility in Prince George.

“We think that our research really suggests that a navigation center is important to the city of Prince George,” she told council.

The recommendation aligns with broader discussions already underway at city hall. Council has previously heard presentations regarding the potential development of a navigation hub and its possible role within the community’s social service landscape.

Although no decisions have been made, further information is expected later this year.

A report outlining options for a navigation hub is scheduled to return to council before the end of the year, giving elected officials an opportunity to consider how such a model might operate in Prince George.

For Merrick, the research ultimately points toward a need for stronger collaboration among governments, service providers and community members. Her findings suggest improving outcomes will require not only better resources for frontline workers, but also systems that make services easier to access and people feel more connected to the supports available.

The Healing Fire gathering offered one example of what that sense of belonging can look like. By bringing together service agencies, support workers and community members in a shared space, it helped provide insight into how relationships and trust can be built, especially among populations that often experience isolation or barriers to care.

Whether through improved training opportunities, greater use of peer support or the creation of a navigation hub, the message delivered to council was that stronger support systems could benefit not only those seeking help, but the broader community as well.

As discussions continue, both researchers and councillors appear to agree on at least one point: the challenges identified in the study are real, and solutions will require attention from governments beyond the municipal level if lasting change is to occur.

by Cheryl Jahn

City Urged to Press Province on Training, Peer Support

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