Ranch Ehrlo Society will soon be able to offer emergency receiving services closer to home for youth from central and northern Saskatchewan.

The board of directors has approved the construction of an Emergency Receiving Program home on the Corman Park campus outside of Saskatoon. The facility should be operational by June 2023.

“There is an urgent need for emergency care for participants from central and northern Saskatchewan,” explained Pam Dmytriw, vice-president of group living services. “Building this program home on our Corman Park campus ideally places the services where youth in the north need it most.”

Emergency receiving services homes are a short-term solution to care for those who need a place to stay while the Ministry of Social Services determines the best care plan. Emergency receiving services are available 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The Ministry will then decide if the participant will move on to a family member, group home, or foster care.

Currently, this emergent need is only met in Regina and Prince Albert. Prince Albert’s facility is for participants aged 11 and under.

“Other participants from central and northern communities are routinely sent to Regina for emergency receiving services, far away from their families and communities. It is important for young people to maintain a connection to their families whenever possible,” stated Pam.

Ranch Ehrlo will also be able to keep participants within the agency’s services if needed, eliminating “shuffling” between various agencies, which can contribute to further trauma experiences.

Senior leadership in Corman Park met with James Westerman, director of property management at Ranch Ehrlo, on Feb. 25th for a charrette exercise to determine the functional layout of how the new home will work. It is expected that ground will break this spring.