Burns Lake resident Sandra Lynn Brocklebank-elrick had an unpleasant surprise earlier this month when she found a strange man, who she believed to be under the influence of alcohol, walking inside her home.
“Some drunk young guy just walked into our house and started walking upstairs,” she described. “After being kicked out he helped himself to some things out of our truck.”
Although Brocklebank-elrick says she wasn’t concerned for her safety, she worries that there might not be enough support for people struggling with addictions or mental health issues in the Burns Lake area.
“That’s an aggravation the fact that he was so drunk that he came into our house,” she said, adding that this wasn’t this first time that this happened.
“There are not enough social services available to these people,” she added. “There’s no sort of centre where they can go.”
The number of calls that the Burns Lake RCMP receives related to mental health occurrences has been increasing since January 2016. During the first four months of 2017, these occurrences increased by 45 per cent compared to the first four months of 2016.
Burns Lake council is also concerned about what seems to be a growing issue in the community. Council plans to meet with B.C.’s Ministry of Health to discuss mental health and addiction issues at the upcoming Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) convention, which will take place on Sept. 25-29, 2017.
“Council would like to discuss the government’s mental heath and addictions strategies, and discuss what is being done to improve the delivery of quality mental health and addictions services to patients in our area,” explained Burns Lake Mayor Chris Beach.
“Council feels strongly about the need for improved access to early prevention programs, more timely medical attention and the need for outpatient follow up care for the delivery of quality services to mental health and addictions patients,” added Beach.
According to an RCMP report, the increase in the number of mental health occurrences in the Burns Lake area has been driven mostly by individuals under the age of 18.
“The community may benefit from exploring mental health service delivery options to youth,” states the RCMP report.
During the upcoming UBCM convention, council also plans to talk about the issue of annual allowable cut reduction, a local brownfield site that’s been under remediation for almost 25 years, and internet connectivity.