The overdose crisis in one of the most serious public health crises our country has ever faced. Canada's approach to addressing this crisis is focused on providing access to a full continuum of health care services and leveraging every tool at our disposal to save lives, connect people to care, and keep communities safe.
Today, Yasir Naqvi, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health on behalf of the Honourable Ya'ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, announced more than $ 1.3 million to Operation Come Home in Ottawa, Ontario. This project will support youth aged 16-25 who are street-involved or experiencing homelessness, and who are at-risk of harms from substance use.
Operation Come Home's team will be led by people with lived or living experience of homelessness, housing insecurity, mental health and substance use challenges. The project will deliver information resources and harm reduction, and cessation supports as well as first-aid and overdose response training, and counselling services. The project will work closely with rehabilitation and residential care providers to ensure that youth leaving hospitals or other treatment centres are supported in their long-term substance use goal.
We will continue to support community partners and organizations working to save lives.
