A new mobile outreach van will soon operate in Cranbrook, delivering health and support services to vulnerable residents and those affected by addiction.
The van is part of a broader initiative supported by over $1.3 million from Health Canada’s Emergency Treatment Fund.
According to the city, the funding will help expand local services, including mobile drug-checking, naloxone training, and peer support programs.
The initiative aims to support unhoused and vulnerable residents, as well as others in Cranbrook dealing with addiction-related challenges.
“It’s really about bringing help to where people are,” said Marcel Germer, Social Development Coordinator for the City of Cranbrook.
“We know from experience that getting these services into the community saves lives.”
The city is partnering with Interior Health to operate the clinical outreach van, which will offer harm reduction supplies, medical care, and health information.
Outreach workers will also connect with individuals in outdoor sheltering areas.
Germer said earlier outreach efforts have already contributed to a decline in overdose deaths and that this project is intended to build on that progress.
According to the city, the program’s outcomes will be monitored, and service providers will work with local organizations to ensure the approach remains culturally safe, accessible, and responsive to community needs.
This is the first time Cranbrook has received Health Canada funding for a project of this nature.
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