The mayor of Faro, Yukon, is calling upon the territorial government to address the significant shortage of mental health support available to his community. This plea coincides with the two-year anniversary of a tragic shooting incident in the small community, which claimed the lives of two individuals and left another injured.
Mayor Jack Bowers expressed his concerns, stating that although immediate assistance was promised following the incident, the community is currently grappling with a severe scarcity of healthcare professionals, including social workers and mental health workers. Faro is presently devoid of both.
In the Town of Faro’s October newsletter, Mayor Bowers noted that the mental health worker who had been serving the community had left the position after being compelled to extend their services to more communities than initially agreed upon.
At present, the only mental health support available to residents is provided by a social worker who travels from Whitehorse once or twice a month for brief visits.
Mayor Bowers acknowledged the challenges faced by these healthcare professionals, but he also highlighted the hardship this places on the community. He believes the absence of a dedicated counselor or support worker is affecting residents, particularly those who continue to grapple with trauma from the tragic events of two years ago.
In response to this shortage, community members have stepped in to support each other. Healthcare nurses, pastors, teachers, friends, and even the RCMP are filling in as counselors and providing assistance to those in need.
Mayor Bowers emphasized the importance of continuing to offer support to one another, as it reflects the wishes of the two victims of the 2021 shootings in Faro, Saengduean Honchaiyaphum and Patrick McCracken.
Cameron Grandy, the director of mental wellness and substance use for the Yukon Government, explained that normally two counselors serve the communities of Ross River and Faro. These counselors typically visit every two weeks, or more frequently if there is a higher demand for support.
Grandy acknowledged staffing gaps in his department and affirmed that they are actively working to address these issues. In the interim, residents of Faro have access to alternative methods of obtaining mental health support, including rapid-access virtual services and in-person services in Whitehorse.
Grandy encouraged residents to utilize available resources and emphasized that a helpline is always available to connect individuals with a counselor if they require mental health support. He stated, “If they call 1-866-456-3838, they can get connected to a counselor through mental wellness and substance use.”
