Photo by Whitehorse Star
END OF THE LINE – The strike by employees of Many Rivers Counselling and Support Services began in late 2018 and ended in February 2019. The debt-laden organization, formerly known as the Yukon Family Services Association, announced Monday it plans to close down.
Many Rivers Counselling and Support Services will host a public town hall Thursday to communicate the organization’s timeline for closure.
Many Rivers Counselling and Support Services will host a public town hall Thursday to communicate the organization’s timeline for closure.
In a statement released Monday afternoon, acting president Paige Galette said the organization’s closure is due to lack of funding.
“Many Rivers Counselling and Support Services has received no funding for service provision from Yukon Government whatsoever, and has recently been told there is no agreement to be had,” the statement said.
“As a result, Many Rivers is unable to pay expenses that accumulated during the strike and while waiting for confirmation of a new funding agreement.”
The organization has faced a number of challenges since late 2018, spurred by a three-month strike that ended on Feb. 7.
That was immediately followed by a series of layoffs and the resignation of executive director Brent Ramsay.
Many Rivers was additionally listed as in default of the Yukon Government Societies Act since July 2018 for failing to file annual reports and financial statements with the Registrar of Societies.
The Star reported last February that government funding would be cut off if financial statements and annual reporting documents were not provided by Many Rivers, leading it to be listed as in non-compliance.
Monday’s statement suggested that Many Rivers has worked to get back in the government’s good books this summer, to no avail.
“The 2019 board has endeavoured to reactivate services provided by Many Rivers over the past 4 months. Our efforts is (sic) completed, sadly without success,” the statement explained.
In a letter to the Star published last Tuesday, Skeeter Wright, a Many Rivers board member, publicized his resignation from the organization. He cited $175,000 of debt incurred by the previous operators that now fell on the shoulders of the new board of directors.
“The new board is responsible for the debt, despite all indications that the debt was caused by the previous board allowing the society to fall out of compliance with the Societies Act ....” Wright wrote.
“The society currently has no funds or sources of revenue to pay the debt. The Yukon Government’s (knowledge of this) indicates the government is not interested in reviving mental health support by the Many Rivers Counselling and Support Society.”
Last Friday afternoon, the government announced a new delivery model for counselling services in the Yukon.
The government’s Mental Wellness and Substance Use Services will be working in tandem with the Yukon division of the Canadian Mental Health Association and the All Genders Yukon Society.
The latter society will provide service to transgender, two-spirit, non-binary individuals and their partners.
“Ensuring Yukoners have access to high-quality counselling services is a priority for our government,” Health and Social Services Minister Pauline Frost said in the release.
“We have been working diligently with our community partners to find a model of service delivery that is sustainable and will meet the needs of all Yukoners.”
The announcement promises Mental Wellness and Substance Use hubs in Dawson City, Watson Lake, Carmacks and Haines Junction that will provide counselling services with available specialized treatment in family, grief, relationship and marriage counselling.
Ramsey never returned the Star’s calls for comment about the society’s long-running problems.
Galette was not available for an interview this morning.
Thursday’s public town hall will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Lecture Hall of Yukon College.
Board members will “share and communicate a timeline of events, clarify the position and state of its organization and open the floor for questions and concerns” of clients, laid-off employees and members of the public.
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Comments (17)
Up 1 Down 1
008 on Sep 2, 2019 at 7:44 pm
Start your own service and sign contracts with First Nations. Then you could hire volunteer counselors, seniors. Make It a Not For Profit organization and apply for federal Funding.
Up 10 Down 0
Yeah Right on Aug 30, 2019 at 3:40 pm
Well look who was completing their doctorate at the Paris School. https://www.manyrivers.yk.ca/organizational-structure/
Up 19 Down 7
Capitan on Aug 30, 2019 at 10:29 am
So YTG wanted explanations about the expenditures -- when? The current board didn't have anything to do with the previous board's decisions, but YTG is holding them responsible, perhaps personally liable for the debt. Why wasn't YTG clear about this before new board members volunteered?
It really seems that this government just doesn't favour non-profit structures. Events like this are sure to make people wary of signing on to a board. What do we need a government department for oversight for, if they're only doing it in the past tense and hanging the blame on whoever is handy?
There are some hard questions here and I would really like to see the media asking them of government officials, not just focusing on board members who seem to have been blindsided.
Up 24 Down 1
Discouraged yukoner on Aug 30, 2019 at 8:48 am
It's sad when the previous Board and ED apparently mismanaged public funds for their own personal benefit!
The former President was "appointed" as the new ED while her mother was also on the Board and in charge of the finances!
Up 22 Down 3
Jason on Aug 29, 2019 at 6:41 pm
The high-quality counselling services I received at Many Rivers were essential to my mental health at a very difficult time. I'm sorry to see they're closing.
Up 24 Down 5
Reality Is on Aug 29, 2019 at 1:16 pm
Response to Groucho - When politicians use words like evidence-base, best-practice or similar catch-phrases the signal should be loud and clear; they do not know what they are talking about. They should be disregarded and ferried away on the ship of fools (narrenschiff).
What we have in the Yukon as a result of a closed, relatively isolated, and certainly psychologically isolated population is the pathological interplay between politics and the civil service.
The relative insouciance of the electorate and the population more generally with regard to this pathology in turn facilitates the mental health concerns within the government itself that Katie specifically addresses and that others allude to. This is a very destructive force within YG and there is no one within YG who will or, for that matter, has the insight to deal with it.
Contrary to Silver’s submission governments suppress evidence as a routine matter of image.
Josey talks about the ruling class and Brenda’s sage observations elucidate problematic management at MWSUS. There are definitely a few political refugees whose real talents are in the appearance of things rather than the substance of a thing. Form over content. Subjectivism over objectivism. This is the package we have “all” tacitly accepted.
These are the sociopathic [as distinguished from psychopathic] proclivities of a system that lacks structure that is predicated on the subjective whimsy of an asocial elite who proclaim falsities as self-evident truths by virtue of their authority. You can often hear the hire ups tell their subordinates to do whatever they want, achieve this goal, however you want. Then when there are complaints the hire ups engage in impression management, scapegoating and harassment to target the unfortunate bag-holder.
That is your government. WASF!
Up 32 Down 6
trapped in a failing society on Aug 29, 2019 at 9:22 am
I wonder when anarchy will happen - cause if the government keeps heading in the direction they are going they're asking for anarchy. I'd like to see a show from the people of the Yukon. If enough people stopped work for a couple days and enough kids didn't go to school and we flooded people down 2nd they might do what we want. Other than that I just see a bunch of government workers on their high horses. They don't care about the Yukon or its people. From what I see, they just want whatever benefits them.
I see why so many people want to leave the Yukon. Living here is bulls**t anyways. On top of no mental health the price you pay to live a day in the Yukon is ridiculous. We aren't robots you just fix but unhealthy human beings that need true help from companions. We need people like Many Rivers so we aren't just taking pills as a quick fix. People help people not pills, not money, nothing of that fabricated sort. Humans help humans that's that. I seriously hope you see how many youth have lost all trust in the government and take a serious look at the youth they are up next to run this society. What future do you see? I see one that's completely different from our current Yukon.
Up 36 Down 3
Brenda on Aug 29, 2019 at 3:08 am
Minister Frost is a broken record who says the same things over and over that mean NOTHING. "We are working diligently". Yes working diligently at destroying Health and Social Services and any NGO that gets in your way, Mental Wellness and Substance use hubs - what a joke they can't hire anyone. Who is going to lead this ? The Manager of Child and Family Treatment the disgraced former TSS/RYTS manager who couldn't get a group home open (Wann Road). The Director of Family and Children Services who committed wrongdoing by locking kids in her care out or kicking them out? There is no slow decline here - look what Minister Frost and her Director's have accomplished in such a short time, Total destruction of many people and services - a major house cleaning is required here - I would start at Mental Wellness with some managers.
Up 24 Down 3
Absolutely Hilarious on Aug 28, 2019 at 11:31 pm
@ jc - Really??? The government is expanding services at the cost of millions... And your comment is that you hope the taxpayer does not get saddled with the bill for $175,000 - LOL - Not only did the taxpayer get saddled but it got the whole damn tack shed to go with it. SMH, LMAO, Peed My Pants (PMP).
You are either a Liberal or a very successful comedian, non?
Too funny - There is going to be an awful lot of bare-back riding of the taxpayers for years to come... We just got screwed. Saddled... LOL!
Up 23 Down 1
Groucho d'North on Aug 28, 2019 at 6:28 pm
Premier Silver has on numerous occasions said that policy will be based on "evidence" - I wonder what policies are being considered in light of the "evidence" the department of Health and Social Services has up on the scoreboard these days?
I did a quick search to find the Premier quoting this line about evidence-based policy making and Google popped up his mandate letter in the top of pile grouping.
https://yukon.ca/en/premier-sandy-silvers-mandate-letter
Up 26 Down 3
Katie on Aug 28, 2019 at 4:44 pm
This is not only sad but disastrous. Many Rivers has been an effective resource for the Yukoners, particularly the majority of the population who cannot afford privately run services.
If the government is really committed to improving the quality of life of the Yukoners, such decisions would be anchored on the best interest of the community members.
Mental illness is too serious, and reduces people's quality of life to dust. Moreover, it has been shown that mental health field poses a serious financial burden that otherwise could be minimized by the provision of services such as Many Rivers delivered.
Closing Many Rivers isn't only perpetuating challenges we already face as a society but will only breed more mental disabilities; the employees supposedly implementing the models.
Many Rivers covered a wide area with very effective services (their clinicians are very competent with a positive impact compared to other places that we know).
While the government is implementing the "hub" and the new model, it is noteworthy that it still won't be enough, given the extent of mental illness and disabilities within both the society and the government's employees. The stakes are high, such situations could be averted if everyone was held accountable in their responsibilities. It's not odd to believe that the same shortcomings seen with Many Rivers could be found within the government as well. Punitively disarming Many Rivers is not even helping, the Yukoners need these services.
Hopefully this decision could be reversed for the sake of our communities and the leaders of tomorrow devasted by mental illnesses; the lives lost to helplessness and suicide.
Up 63 Down 16
Max Mack on Aug 28, 2019 at 9:08 am
My impression is that there was a coordinated take-down of Many Rivers. Once again, Frost is at the helm. So much chaos in such little time . . .
Up 45 Down 7
Josey Wales on Aug 28, 2019 at 12:21 am
To those who choose to help, and y’all know who ya are...
Thanks for doing what was done, whilst doing them?
Many folks developed/honed skills to navigate the whitewaters of life.
For that I am certain many in our community thank you, I do!
Seems there is a battle going on in this town between healers and enablers, not just at MR but it as a philosophy has infected our community in a very big way.
There are many folks amongst us that mask their malice well, many use virtue as a facade, many others merely hide in their office and play...very very well... stupid.
Track the players in this “game” (it is not), follow the money trail and most certainly those “qualities” illustrated above will be omnipresent bigus timus.
This entire fiasco absolutely reeks of political ineptness, as does most current events in our compost formerly known as Whitehorse.
...a once lovely community with a small town feel.
This mess, the efforts by staff to make good absolutely wasted...suggests very strongly that we have many, many wolves dressed as sheep. Suggests that community health is not a concern via the ruling class.
One trip down forth avenue and the epic eeeepic dysfunction, suggests the same.
Team Red, only cares about ..well....team Red.
They touch it, whatever it was...will with great haste...go to waste.
Staffers, again thanks for all the efforts.
Up here, pretending to care is far faaaaar more important than actually caring.
Up 25 Down 28
Seth Wright on Aug 27, 2019 at 10:42 pm
Union busted. One down one to go... Another local one more show... Smash the YEU cause they can do nothing for you... Take your cash and steal it away while the government makes them stooges pay...
Ain’t gonna be no YG wannabe... Rapped up in the Union fairy tale... Once upon a time and a half...
Up 48 Down 11
Capitan on Aug 27, 2019 at 10:15 pm
Center of Hope, MacBride Museum, now Many Rivers. What grand vision does this government have that longstanding non-profits are deemed just not good enough? I remember well that YTG refused to say anything, do anything during the strike to help sort things out. They seem to have opted for a passive-aggressive shut out of Many Rivers. The treatment of the organization is just really shabby.
I think media needs to start leaning hard on this government for more complete explanations.
Up 37 Down 5
jc on Aug 27, 2019 at 8:23 pm
How do you file annual reports and financial statements from a slush fund? I just hope the tax payer isn't saddled with the bills.
Up 55 Down 27
Politico on Aug 27, 2019 at 2:34 pm
Well, you piss off the government this is what happens. I love the way the governments downloads the responsibility of services on NGOs, gives them zero help and then walks away from them when things go wrong claiming no responsibility to help or clean up the mess. Given the fiasco over the Horrors of Hope we'll be revisiting this decision in another year.