New youth mental health centre planned for Fort McMurray

A youth mental health facility planned for construction in Fort McMurray hopes to provide services that many families in the community are currently forced to travel hundreds of kilometres to access. 

Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo councillors unanimously approved zoning for a new youth mental health facility in Fort McMurray's Gateway district last week. 

It will be operated by CASA Mental Health, a non-profit organization headquartered in Edmonton. 

"I think it's a great program," said Wood Buffalo's mayor Sandy Bowman. 

Other council members said the facility is sorely needed. 

"I've had a first-hand experience of a very close and dear young guy that had this challenge," said Coun. Funky Banjoko, "And I can attest to the fact that the family was tired of travelling to Edmonton to attend to him." 

The centre is planned to open in the fall of 2027, and will provide mental health services for youth aged 12 to 18.

The new facility will include a day program for structured outpatient care, as well as a live-in treatment option. Once completed, it will have about 20 beds. 

Tiffany Bennett, whose 10-year-old son has complex mental health needs, told CBC this will be the first facility in Fort McMurray that will offer all, or at least most, of the services her son requires in one place. 

"A lot of times you're being sent to Edmonton because there isn't enough support here and then you're stuck struggling on like a two-year waiting list, sometimes even longer, depending on what your child needs," she said. 

"And this kind of opens up that barrier for us to be able to have an intervention here locally." 

She said the facility should reduce the need to travel to Edmonton for services. 

Bennett is concerned that the facility might not be able to handle the demand. 

"With the overall growing population and with the high demand here in Fort McMurray, it's great they're going to be building that, but they may need more," she said. "And then, hopefully, they're open to expanding it based on what the community needs."