The City of Prince Albert Receives Funding for Innovative Mobile Complex Needs Team

The City of Prince Albert has been awarded a $3.6 million grant from Health Canada’s Emergency Treatment Fund to help prevent overdose deaths in the community. The funding will support the creation of a multi-disciplinary, three-part Mobile Complex Needs Team, comprised of staff from the Prince Albert Police Service, Parkland Ambulance, and the Prince Albert Mobile Crisis Unit.

Operating 24/7, the team will respond to individuals in crisis, de-escalate situations, divert non-emergency cases from hospital emergency departments, and connect people to appropriate treatment and support services.

“This team will meet a real and urgent need in Prince Albert,” said Mayor Powalinsky. “Our overdose death rate is comparable to much larger centres like Saskatoon. By proactively engaging with individuals in the community, this initiative aims to reduce overdose risks before they become fatal. It contributes to our vision of being an innovative, welcoming, diverse, and healthy city of opportunity.”

The Mobile Complex Needs Team is separate from the Complex Needs Emergency Shelter but will complement it.

The initiative will create 12 new jobs in Prince Albert. Partner organizations are currently preparing for implementation, with full-time operations expected to begin in early 2026. 

“This is the result of the collaborative efforts of the City’s Community Safety and Well-Being initiative, which helps us to continue to fulfill our vision of a healthy and innovative City,” added Mayor Powalinsky. “It enables us to work with partners across the community, identify gaps in service provision, and leverage funding opportunities from multiple levels of government. We are excited to support the evaluation of this project to measure its impact on reducing pressure on emergency services and lowering overdose rates in our community.”

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Media Contact:

Mayor Powalinsky 
306.953.4300 

Anna Dinsdale 
Community Safety and Well-Being Manager
Community Development Department
306.953.4884