The Supervised Consumption Site staff (L-R) Melisa Speedtsberg, Harm Reduction Worker; Mercedes Miller, Primary Care Paramedic; Julie Plante, Licensed Practical Nurse; Tracy Pelgrim, LPN Clinical Lead (photo courtesy of Tracy Pelgrim)

By Liam Verster

Grande Prairie SCS

Grande Prairie Supervised Consumption Site shares successes to mark two year anniversary

Mar 11, 2021 | 3:30 AM

Grande Prairie’s mobile Supervised Consumption Site (SCS) has been running since March 11, 2019, and is marking it’s second anniversary by sharing details on the success of it’s operations.

Since opening in the Swan City, the SCS has seen 321 individuals make 17,499 visits to the site.

During that period of time, the SCS was able to provide proper assistance to many experiencing a drug overdose.

“On site we have had [209] overdose interventions, 141 of those included oxygen usage only or coaching, and 57 included Naloxone,” says Tracy Pelgrim, the Clinical Lead at the SCS.

“We’ve also responded to over 50 overdoses off-site, which means the Rotary House, Saint Lawrence Centre area, and those are usually responded with Naloxone because we’re called to respond to those.”

Over the course of the past two years, the SCS has also been able to take some pressure off emergency services. EMS has only attended the site 10 times since it opened, meaning 199 calls were prevented through on-site response alone.

Pelgrim says there have also been zero deaths recorded at this, or any, supervised consumption site in Canada.

The SCS in Grande Prairie is not only a safe space for drug users, but also helps people who are ready to get clean access the needed supports.

Pelgrim says there is a harm reduction worker on site to help people access those services, though adds that the first thing they usually have to do is help the individual get their identification in order to access the supports.

Once the ID has been sorted out, they can connect people to a range of supports that best fit the person’s need.

“In the last two years we’ve had 86 referrals to detox, 101 referrals to opioid dependency therapy, and 37 referrals to residential treatment. Some clients we have not seen come back after treatment, so that’s a good sign for us, but we unfortunately have no way to track if they have completed treatment, or where they end up after their treatment stint was done.”

The SCS also referred another 340 individuals to medical care, and 130 were directed to housing support programs.

The SCS also works in conjunction with Northreach Society, and has made 383 internal referrals to their supports and services.

Pelgrim adds it’s been very rewarding working for the SCS and not only providing a safe space that helps prevent people from dying from an overdose, but also one that connects people with the proper supports and services they need in order to take the next step and get clean.