Haliburton County Paramedic Service has been granted nearly $1.2 million to support vulnerable populations in the region.
During the May 27 Haliburton Highlands OPP Detachment Board meeting, Michael Slatter, Chief of the Haliburton County Paramedic Service, said the funding received through Health Canada’s Emergency Treatment Fund will go toward the Substance Use and Addictions Program.
Slatter said the program aims to deploy a mobile outreach unit to allow paramedics to reach individuals of all ages where they are, provide culturally safe and trauma-informed care, and reduce overdose-related harms in a timely and effective manner.
According to the report presented at the board meeting, the program will also provide low-barrier access to harm reduction supplies, health services, and peer support, often reaching individuals who are disconnected from traditional healthcare systems.
Additionally, Slatter said the program will connect participants to critical resources like housing assistance, alongside new educational initiatives.
“Haliburton County is facing a growing public health crisis related to drug poisonings and opioid overdoses,” reads the report. It also states the region has experienced a higher hospitalization rate for drug poisoning than the provincial average, with fentanyl involved in 86 per cent of opioid-related deaths in 2023.
Slatter said the need for mobile harm reduction services is particularly acute in rural communities like Haliburton County, where transportation barriers and sparse healthcare infrastructure limit access to life-saving resources.
He said some of the program’s expenditures include the purchase of a van to be outfitted as a mobile clinic, as well as equipment, staffing, personnel salaries and benefits, and travel and accommodation costs.
The report states the funding will allow the program to operate until April 1, 2027. Any continuation beyond that will depend on budget approval from County Council.
