Huddle expands to Portage la Prairie

A youth mental health service is expanding its offices to Portage La Prairie with the help of provincial government funding.

The Province of Manitoba this month announced $400,000 in support for the Huddle initiative, which provides wellness services to youth between the ages of 12 to 29. The funding will be used to support the first site in the city, focused on youth who are at risk of homelessness or in need of mental health and addictions treatment.

Bernadette Smith, Minister of Housing, Addictions and Homelessness made the announcement this month alongside Nahanni Fontaine, Minister of Families.

“It is important for our youth to have a place to go and have access to the supports that they need when they need it,” said Smith in a press release. “We are not using a one-size-fits-all approach to care, we are working with young people to meet them where they are at and support them through their mental health or addictions journey.”

Huddle Manitoba is an initiative to create community spaces where youth feel safe to seek help, with as many services as possible in one location, according to its website. The Huddle initiative advocates for youth and assists them to plan for their health and wellbeing.

Mari Kozar, executive director of Portage la Prairie Community Revitalization Corporation, said the organization is glad to receive funding to support its work. The new huddle site will be co-located with Youth Connect programming, which is already being offered through the Portage la Prairie Community Revitalization Corporation.

“Services for youth have been a long-time need in Portage la Prairie and we look forward to bridging further gaps in co-ordination with our Youth Connect program and community partners,” said Kozar. “We have seen tremendous support from all of our partner organizations to make this initiative move forward including the Portage Family Resource Centre, Portage la Prairie RCMP, the City of Portage la Prairie and Southern Health-Santé Sud.”

Youth Connect sites are Indigenous-led or partnered programs that provide navigation services to young adults who have transitioned out of care, with the primary goal of preventing homelessness. Each Youth Connect site offers housing, system navigation, case planning, culturally appropriate supports and advocacy.

“Youth transitioning out of care face additional challenges as they learn to navigate the systems meant to support them, which leaves them at risk of falling through the cracks,” said Fontaine. “Youth Connect can help give them the supports needed to land on their feet and build a good future for themselves in their communities.”

The announcement is part of the province’s whole-of-government approach to address the needs of at-risk youth while ensuring alignment, preventing duplication and maximizing resources, the ministers said.

There are currently two other co-located Huddle-Youth Connect sites in Winnipeg and Selkirk, with an additional site planned for northern Manitoba. The ministers noted co-locating the two initiatives at one site will ensure more comprehensive supports for youth.

The Manitoba government currently provides more than $2.4 million annually to support six Huddle sites in Winnipeg, Selkirk and Brandon and more than $1 million annually to support Youth Connect sites in Swan Valley, Portage la Prairie, Selkirk, Winnipeg and The Pas.

The Huddle initiative is delivered in partnership with various philanthropic partners including United Way Winnipeg. United Way Winnipeg, which serves as the administrative host and provides organizational support to Huddle, has been awarded $10 million from the federal Youth Mental Health Fund to expand access to integrated youth services in Manitoba and build capacity in existing Huddles.

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