B.C. Children and Youth Reprsentative Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond is welcoming the opening of a five-bed service in Prince George to help youth in the care of the Ministry of Children and Family Development who have complex emotional and mental health challenges.
"It is a step in the right direction," Turpel-Lafond said Thursday, the same day the provincial government said the service - a Complex Care Community Residential Resource (CCCRR) operated by Milieu Family Services - is up and running.
In a press release, the provincial government said workers at the facility are trained to deal with extreme behaviours that may be the result of previous traumatic events in a youth’s life.
Staff use a variety of techniques to help calm and stabilize the youth and then teach them, and foster parents, behaviour management techniques that can be used at home.
Staff also have access to trained professionals such as psychologists and psychiatric staff on an as needed basis should behaviours escalate to a point where more intensive help is needed.
“The complex care model provides assessment, rapid-response planning and wrap-around training for support teams, all of which helps youth return to their communities with a positive and well integrated plan for success.” said Milieu Family Services executive director Cynthia Roling in the press release.
In December, Turpel-Lafond revived a call for “secure care” for youth struggling with drug addiction following the takedown of a drug house in Prince George where police apprehended a 14-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy.
Turpel-Lafond suspects the controversy that followed "probably did" play a role in the government's decision to open the facility. Although announced Thursday, it was officially opened on March 31 and took in its first youth on Feb. 11, a government spokesperson said.
"It's certainly something I've called for an its a valuable step and if we can reduce the use of hotels and emergency placements for kids who have complex needs or challenges around kids being in a hospital and not being able to be release, these are some of the pressures that these five beds, which a modest addition are nevertheless a valuable addition," Turpel-Lafond said.
The same operator is adding five beds in Vernon, Turpel-Lafond noted.
