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The mobile outreach model will help remove barriers to care while supporting people where they are. (Image Credit: Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)
addictions and mental health

Woodland Wellness Centre receives $1.5 million for mobile outreach intiative

Mar 11, 2026 | 4:31 PM

The Woodland Wellness Centre will receive up to $1.5 million in federal funding to address opioid addiction and mental health issues.

The funding, approved through Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) and Emergency Treatment Fund (ETF), will support the Woodland Wellness Mobile Outreach Initiative aimed at delivering culturally grounded wellness services directly to LLRIB communities.

The initiative will implement mobile outreach services that provide culturally safe counselling, crisis intervention, and suicide prevention to individuals who face barriers accessing centralized services. The project will run from from April 1 to March 31, 2027.

“Access to treatment can be difficult for many people in the North because of distance and limited services,” said Chief Tammy Cook-Searson in a media release issued Tuesday.

“This initiative helps bring support directly into our communities in ways that respect our culture and strengthen our approach to healing.”

Valerie McLeod, the director of the Woodland Wellness Centre, explained the mobile outreach model will help remove barriers to care while supporting people where they are.

“This initiative allows us to reach people who may not otherwise be able to access services,” she said.

“By bringing supports directly into communities, we can provide harm-reduction supplies, connect individuals with treatment and help guide people toward healing in ways that are culturally grounded and community-driven.”

derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com