In Regina, a new health centre has provided a dedicated space for individuals who need urgent psychological help, accessible from the outside through a special door.

This is what Rebecca Rackow, the director of research and patient advocacy at the regional branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association, has long hoped for.

According to her research, the Regina health facility may be the first in Canada to offer a private entrance for mental health patients. Such a facility exists in Australia and has been working very well, according to the researcher.

The new urgent care centre in Regina, set to open early next year, is expected to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with a team of healthcare workers assisting individuals with physical and mental illnesses.

For her part, Collin Quinlan, the director of mental health and addiction at the Saskatchewan health authority, said in June that the new centre will have two waiting rooms and separate entrances. She explained that people going through a mental health crisis are not always calm in the hospital emergency room, with the prevailing noise and activity.

Also, according to Rackow, research has shown that a busy emergency room can lead to agitation, frustration, and sometimes violence, even leaving patients outside the hospital. She said these situations are particularly acute at night, when services are limited yet particularly needed.

The Saskatchewan government is also considering building a similar centre in Saskatoon, but Quinlan declined to say whether it would have a separate entrance for patients with mental health needs.