Community hub offering broad range of needs for youth opens in Moose Jaw

Accessing community services in Moose Jaw WATCH: Moose Jaw youth and their caregivers will now have a one stop centre for accessing community services. Wayne Mantyka reports.

Moose Jaw, Sask. — A new community hub in Moose Jaw will connect young people to a range of programs covering health needs, peer support, and recreation.

Homebase is a place where youth aged 12 to 25 can seek help on a broad range of needs. It's a joint venture between government and a number of agencies, including the Regina YMCA, which also serves Moose Jaw.

“You know, a young person is facing challenges, whatever that may be, we think that with the partnerships that exist in the community that we have the opportunity to connect people to resources in real time," explained YMCA Regina CEO Steve Compton.

There are rooms for health care, mental health and addictions program, mentoring or just a place to sit back and have fun with other young people. It was designed by a youth advisory board and funded by the province.

Aria Swanson, a youth impact committee member, said they discuss different possibilities and situations since people come for different reasons.

"We think, okay, who is coming into this space? Are we having someone who is having a difficult home life? Are we having someone who is here just to have friendship and to have fun? What are kinds of the situations that we can imagine and think of,” she said.

Youth can be referred to the centre by professionals, although it's expected that most will hear about it through friend and simply drop in.

"You may come in for service or you may just come in for connection, just to be with friends in a safe and inclusive space,” Compton said.

The Moose Jaw youth centre is one of four in a government pilot project. The others will be in Regina, Humboldt and the Sturgeon Lake First Nation. If the concept proves itself, more could be established.