Langley City requests additional resources for ICM Team to help get people off the street

Last fall, Fraser Health launched a new Intensive Case Management (ICM) team for Langley. This team provides the following services for people:

• Substance use counselling and/or access to treatment
• Housing brokerage and support
• Daily living skills supports and skill building
• Connections to primary, dental, and specialist care
• Grocery shopping
• Accessing vocational rehabilitation support
• Connections to community resources
• Transportation to appointments
• Supporting and encouraging healthy lifestyle choices, personal hygiene, short and long-term goal setting, and money management.

The ICM team services are key in helping people transition from living on the street with substance abuse issues, into safe housing with supportive services. To help support the ICM Team, BC Housing is providing 30 rent subsidies. When the former Quality Inn near Home Depot is reopened, it will provide 49 units of supportive housing.

The ICM team has the capacity to help 72 people, and earlier this year they reached their capacity. With over 200 people confirmed without a home in our community, we need more resources for the ICM team, including accompanying supportive housing.

ICM Team Statistics from September 29, 2017 thru June 13, 2018. Select table to enlarge.

On July 23, Langley City council released a letter that we sent to the Honourable Adrian Dix, BC Minster of Health. In the letter, we asked for additional resources to support the ICM team in Langley. The ICM team itself has requested additional resources from Fraser Health including another full-time support worker, two trauma counselors, three additional case managers, and continued funding to retain a Registered Nurse and full-time administrative assistant to ensure that people can get help in our community. More supportive housing will be required to be provided by BC Housing.

I am hopeful that BC Housing and Fraser Health, both provincial organizations, will come to the table will additional resources to help people in our community.