Saskatchewan
Provincial Health Plan
Saskatchewan Health coverage
Permanent Residents who have just arrived in Canada are eligible for health coverage on the day they arrive in Saskatchewan. In order to access the coverage, they will need to have received their Saskatchewan Health Card. Saskatchewan Health subsidies and supplements do not apply until the 12 months of Private Sponsorship is finished.
Free Health Care Programs Available to Privately Sponsored Refugees
REACH (Refugee Engagement and Community Health): REACH Refugee Engagement and Community Health Clinic supports refugee clients’ health needs during their first year in Canada. REACH is hosted at the Saskatoon Community Clinic and is a partnership of Saskatoon Community Clinic, University of Saskatchewan – College of Medicine, Global Gathering Place, Saskatoon Open Door Society, and Saskatoon Health Region (Primary Health Care Services, Population and Public Health Services and TB Prevention and Control Saskatchewan).
All recently arrived refugees, including privately sponsored refugees, are eligible to receive services at the REACH Clinic for one year. Services include:
- Initial medical examinations
- Diagnostic services (blood work, X-Ray and ECG)
- Ongoing medical follow-up
- Language interpretation
- Pharmacy
The initial appointment at REACH can only be booked by calling the PATH (Providing Access to Healthcare) team at Global Gathering Place at 306-665-0268.
Mental Health Care for Refugees
Global Gathering Place
In partnership with the Saskatchewan Health Authority, GGP has been offering counselling services since 2013.
Mental health services and supports are provided in the community using a model that differs from the typical Western, institutional medical model. Along with stakeholders from the Saskatchewan Health Authority, GGP offers a strengths-centred wrap-around service model using a community based, culturally sensitive approach. In partnership with Community Adult Programs and Centralized Adult Intake, Children’s Mental Health Services, and Youth Mental Health and Addictions Services (all departments within the Saskatchewan Health Authority), Global Gathering Place offers one-on-one counselling sessions.
Call 306-665-0268 to book an appointment.
Counselling: One-on-one sessions with a mental health counsellor allow clients to discuss their feelings and develop ways of coping with stress, relationship problems, anxiety, depression, adjusting to a new culture and so on. Interpretation is available if needed.
Parenting Support: Counsellors meet one-on-one to help parents and their children deal with:
- Aggressive behavior
- Anxiety
- Attachment issues
- Attention difficulties
- Depression
- Impacts of abuse
- Non-intentional self-harm
- Parenting difficulties
- Social/emotional trauma
- Suicide ideation
- Trauma
Landing and Settling Group Therapy Program: Guided group learning sessions help newcomers deal with a wide range of mental health issues including anxiety, depression, trauma, family violence, and anger management.
Regina Immigrant Women Centre (RIWC): Counselling for Women
This RIWC program provides counselling services to newcomer immigrant and refugee women, referral to support programs and resources, and follow-up supports. Call 306-359-6514 to book an appointment.
Provincial Mental Health and Addictions Services
Mental Health and Addictions services are covered by the Saskatchewan Health Card.
Saskatchewan Aids to Independent Living (SAIL): This program provides Orthopaedic Devices, Special Needs Equipment, Home Respiratory Services and Therapeutic Nutritional Products to persons with long term disabilities or illnesses and limited ability to function fully. Persons with Saskatchewan Health Cards and a request from a medical professional are eligible.
HealthLine 811: Professional nurses provide confidential health advice to callers 24/7. Interpretation services are available.
211 Saskatchewan has a database of over 5,000 community, social, non-clinical health and government services across the province.