Task Force named to improve services for Islanders with complex needs
As part of its ongoing efforts to improve supports and services for Islanders with complex needs, Government today launched a Task Force to develop an action plan for improvements and enhancements to programs and services provided by government and community.
The Task Force includes subject matter experts and community leaders who will work with Carlene Donnelly, senior advisor to the Premier and Cabinet tasked with reviewing programs and services for complex populations, to make system level decisions that guide the introduction of a comprehensive, client-centered model of care to support Islanders experiencing the most complex and concurrent social, mental health and physical issues and who are homeless or at risk of being homeless.
A recommendation of Donnelly’s interim report, the objectives of the Task Force are:
- Create community support for a comprehensive, “made for PEI” system of care program that supports “Housing First” and “Community First” models.
- Establish measurable deliverables and priorities.
- Align resources and remove barriers to enable implementation of an enhanced services delivery model.
- Support development of a comprehensive communication plan to improve the flow of information to vulnerable persons, neighborhoods, local communities, and municipalities.
A community-level committee of service delivery organizations will also be created focused on system mapping and pathway improvements. This work will guide the system-level decisions of the Task Force.
Over the next six months, the Task Force will work with Donelly to implement the recommendations of her report and pilot a Complex Care Centre in Charlottetown that can be broadened in scope to support a province-wide model of care.
While the membership of the Task Force will evolve, the initial membership includes:
- Honourable Rob Lantz (Chair), Minister of Housing, Land and Communities
- Jamie MacDonald, Deputy Minister, Housing, Land and Communities
- Laurae Kloschinsky, Assistant Deputy Minister, Mental Health and Addictions, Department of Health and Wellness
- Cheryl Paynter, CEO, PEI Housing Corporation
- Eleanor Mohammed, CAO, City of Charlottetown
- Brad MacConnell, Chief, Charlottetown Police Services
- Tim Mayme, Chief, Charlottetown Fire
- Shelly Muzika, Executive Director, Canadian Mental Health Association-PEI Division
- Dr. William Montlepare, Margaret and Wallace McCain Chair in Human Development and Health, UPEI
- Dawn Alan, Executive Director, Downtown Charlottetown Inc.
- Treena Smith, Executive Director, United Way PEI
Quotes:
“This is an important step as we continue to move forward to change and improve the services we provide to Islanders with complex needs and address serious issues such as homelessness. I thank the members of this Task Force for taking on this challenge and working with Ms. Donnelly in identifying new and better ways to provide the help and services that people need. The Task Force members bring a combination of expertise and understanding of our community’s need as we work together to address these important issues.”
- The Honourable Dennis King, Premier of Prince Edward Island
“The issues facing Islanders who are homeless or at risk of homelessness are complex and we need a new approach and improved pathways for care. We need to maximize our service delivery while minimizing community impacts and we need to build sustainable solutions. I look forward to working with the other members of the Task Force to move forward constructively and develop an action plan for change.”
- The Honourable Rob Lantz, Minister of Housing, Land and Communities and Task Force co-chair.
“The challenges facing PEI are not unique but over the past several months of meeting with community and government partners, it has become clear that what is unique to PEI is the sense of community and willingness of partners to work together to address what is a difficult and complex issues that must be tackled on several fronts. I look forward to working with members of this Task Force as we bring into focus a series of recommendations to enhance the system of care for Islanders experiencing complex issues.”
- Carlene Donnelly, Special Advisor to the Premier and Cabinet, Services for Vulnerable Islanders
Media contact:
April Gallant
Senior Communication Officer
Government of Prince Edward Island
aldgallant@gov.pe.ca
Additional Resources:
- Enhancing the System of Care for Islanders Experiencing Complex Issues
Background:
In late 2023, the Government of PEI initiated a review of programs and services for vulnerable
Islanders. The review was taken on in response to a growing issue on the Island, people dealing
with one or more complex issues and finding new or better ways to provide services for those
needing help. The province engaged Carlene Donnelly as a special advisor to the Premier to
lead the exercise and provide a path forward for government and community groups to develop
a client-centered model of care.
Enhancing the System of Care for Islanders Experiencing Complex Issues outlines the following recommendations:
- Build a model of care for people with complex needs on PEI
- Improve coordination of services
- Adopt a prevention philosophy
- Appropriate primary care, mental health, and addictions access
- Options for housing need to continue to be developed.