Families Minister Heather Stefanson says, “There is nothing more important than protecting Manitoba’s children and youth."

On November 12, the Manitoba government announced it is investing more than $4.9 million over three years to help at-risk or sexually exploited youth by improving access to mental health and addictions treatment.

Stefanson says, “This funding will go toward new partnerships between community organizations and Winnipeg StreetReach to provide coordinated care for vulnerable young people.”

The province will invest $751,000 over three years for the Manitoba Adolescent Treatment Centre (MATC) to work in collaboration with StreetReach.

Stefanson says, "The two organization’s combined strengths in delivering mental health and substance abuse services and intervening in crises will help protect children and youth."

Further funding totalling $370,000 over three years will support new partnerships with Indigenous organizations. Together with StreetReach, these partners will integrate the traditional approaches of spiritual care workers and elders into a multi-disciplinary and mobile method of addressing complex social issues.

StreetReach is part of Tracia's Trust, the Manitoba government's strategy to prevent sexual exploitation of children and youth. The StreetReach program currently includes a Winnipeg team, formed in July 2009, with representation from child welfare, law enforcement and non-governmental organizations who work collaboratively to respond to children and youth at high risk of being violently victimized through the sex trade.

Darcy Cormack, board chair of MATC, says, “MATC is pleased to partner with StreetReach to provide clinical mental health services to vulnerable children and youth.

“The addition of mental health services to StreetReach will support youth in recovery and pursuing future opportunities.”

In addition to enhancing services available through StreetReach, the Manitoba government is investing more than $3.8 million over three years to enable Neecheewam Inc. to expand its Winnipeg facility and improve access to Indigenous-led healing, care and treatment services to sexually exploited youth.

Neecheewam operates the Strong Hearted Buffalo Women Crisis Stabilization Unit, a four-bed crisis intervention program for youth who are at high risk of sexual exploitation.

With new provincial funding, Neecheewam Inc. will undergo renovations to pilot a new, longer-term four-bed addition to its treatment facility. The integrated team at StreetReach will be able to turn to Neecheewam for Indigenous-led treatment programming with a focus on individualized plans to meet the unique needs of each youth through traditional healing and cultural connection.

Cory Campbell, executive director of Neecheewam, says, “Neecheewam has quietly been doing the best we can to offer best-practice, quality services to help children of all nations overcome barriers and this program expansion certainly fits within that mandate.

“The new funding means we are able to provide a multi-pronged approach with both short-term and longer-term treatment because the young people we help have varying needs.”