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After a week of closing the doors to Saskatoon’s only supervised consumption site, Prairie Harm Reduction opened again on Monday.
Executive director Kayla DeMong said the temporary closure was “a very difficult decision to make,” and staff have been both eager and nervous to return.
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She added that staff have had access to health care and mental health professionals, which has been “a huge help.”
Prairie Harm Reduction announced its temporary closure on March 19, citing staff stress, trauma, and burnout over the number of overdoses in the last several weeks.
Since Jan. 1, the Saskatoon Fire Department has responded to 795 overdose-related calls or suspected opioid poisonings, with nearly 60 per cent of those occurring in March alone.
“It really is trauma and a type of stress that wouldn’t wish upon anyone,” DeMong said.
“We recognize that we are not the only organization that is going through this and we want to encourage all of them to access the resources that they need.”
DeMong said she’s heard from many people within the community that are grateful the supervised consumption site has re-opened.
They are “glad that they can come back to a place where they know they’re welcome and taken care of,” she said.
Still, challenges for Prairie Harm Reduction persist in the midst of the overdose crisis.
“There is a likelihood that this is our new normal,” DeMong said. “It is a very scary thought.”
She applauded Rob Hogan, the fire department’s deputy chief for coordinating with community resources, emphasizing the need for organizations like hers to receive support to better respond to the crisis.
