Back in 2023, the 10 beds in the Prince Albert Child and Youth Psychiatric Unit were closed and have not been reopened. While private therapists are an option in town, they’re also expensive for those without any coverage.
Over the summer, Schubert’s daughter went into what she called ‘a burnout session’ where she refused to eat and wouldn’t get out of bed or her room. She also stopped taking medication for her complex needs and that’s led to issues with her kidneys. She’s currently in hospital in Saskatoon receiving treatment. While she’s appreciative for the care, Schubert said being in Saskatoon with her daughter also means she is unable to work and doesn’t have an income.
Schubert believes if they were able to have better access to a local child psychiatrist, the doctor could have recommended changes in treatment or medication in a timely manner, and that could have stopped things from progressing to where they are now.
“The minute she refused to take that medication, I was like ‘this needs to be taken to the hospital’. Once again, you get to the hospital, and I appreciate absolutely everything that the hospital and all the staff tried to do to help her, but because that unit is not open, because there is no child psychologist on staff, the services that she was desperately needing were delayed,” Schubert said. “Because of the fact that that mental health and family unit is closed and there is no child psychologist with the scope of practice and the knowledge to support my daughter, she is now suffering those consequences and its no longer a mental health issue, it has become a medical issue.”
In an email to paNOW, the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) said it provides a range of pediatric healthcare supports, including child and youth mental health services.
“Currently, Prince Albert is served by one full-time child and youth psychiatrist and part-time contracted supports, with additional psychiatrists providing rotating, once-weekly coverage. The SHA continues to actively recruit for these specialized roles, and a new child and youth psychiatrist is expected to begin practice in early 2026,” the statement read.
To ensure access isn’t limited by geography, the SHA said financial supports for travel to and from Prince Albert are available through Non-Insured Health Benefits for eligible First Nations and Métis families.
“The SHA remains dedicated to strengthening pediatric and mental health supports in northern and central Saskatchewan through ongoing recruitment, partnerships and system improvements that help families access the care they need, close to home.”
Schubert said she is appreciative for any help her daughter receives, but pediatricians can only work within their scope and Sophia’s needs go beyond that.
“That’s not their specialty. Their specialty is tube feeding or children with heart defects, and not their mental health. They were doing what they could to support us, but that’s not their scope of practice. They were just picking up, and it’s not fair to them to have to pick up that workload that they’re not familiar with, but they did do their best and I appreciate them.”
—
nick.nielsen@pattisonmedia.com