Saskatchewan's Compassionate Intervention Act expands the state's authority to detain individuals for addictions treatment. We believe that authority must not move ahead of the care system meant to support it.
Care should arrive before coercion
Clinical Concerns
Post-release overdose risk due to reduced tolerance
Limited evidence for improved long-term outcomes
Potential chilling effect on emergency overdose response
Healthcare Capacity
Existing waitlists for voluntary treatment
Insufficient detox and treatment beds
Lack of recovery housing infrastructure
Rights & Oversight
Charter implications for detained individuals
Independent oversight gaps
Need for transparent legal safeguards
Indigenous & Community
Need for Indigenous-led solutions
Cultural safety in care settings
Risk of repeating historic coercive systems
The solution
There is a better path forward
We can build a system where help arrives in hours — not months — and where every stage of recovery has somewhere to go next.
Today's broken pathway
Status quo
What too many Saskatchewan families experience now.
Crisis
Waitlist
Relapse
Emergency response
The path forward
Proposed
What evidence-based, voluntary infrastructure can look like.
Crisis
Immediate voluntary access
Treatment
Recovery housing
Reintegration
A full continuum of care
Voluntary care, every step of the way
Each stage exists because the one before it cannot work alone. Skip a link and people fall through.
STEP 01
Voluntary Intake
Same-day, low-barrier access to detox the moment a person is ready.
STEP 02
Treatment & Peer Support
Evidence-based care alongside lived-experience peer support.
STEP 03
Indigenous-Led Care
Culturally safe healing designed and governed by Indigenous Nations.
STEP 04
Recovery Housing
Transitional sober living that bridges treatment and independent life.
STEP 05
Community Reintegration
Stable housing, work, and belonging — the foundations of lasting recovery.
01
Immediate Access Treatment
Same-day detox and intake — care available the moment a person is ready.
02
Recovery Housing
Transitional sober living that bridges treatment and a stable, independent life.
03
Housing First Supports
Stable housing as the foundation that makes sustained recovery possible.
04
Community-Based Recovery
Peer-led, neighbourhood-rooted supports that meet people where they live.
05
Indigenous-Led Care Models
Culturally safe, community-governed care designed and delivered by Indigenous Nations.
Evidence base
What the strongest research actually shows.
Our position is grounded in peer-reviewed studies, government reports, and economic evaluations. A small sample of the consensus evidence below — the full library has over 90 entries.
Open the Evidence LibraryPeer-reviewed journals · Government reports · Cost analyses · Indigenous-led research
What we stand for
What is Voluntary Treatment First?
We are a grassroots, citizen-led campaign asking Saskatchewan to prioritize building real recovery infrastructure before involuntary treatment powers are enacted under the Compassionate Intervention Act.
"Real recovery begins when help is available the moment someone is ready."
Our mission
We are advocating for
Immediate voluntary detox access
Expanded treatment bed capacity
Recovery housing
Harm reduction supports
Family-centered treatment
Indigenous-led, culturally safe care
Community reintegration supports
FAQ
Questions, answered honestly.
The questions Saskatchewan neighbours, families, and journalists actually ask us. Still curious? Use the assistant below or get in touch — we'd rather have the conversation than leave you guessing.
Bill 48 — Saskatchewan's Compassionate Intervention Act — creates a legal framework to detain and treat people with severe addiction without their consent. It has passed the Legislative Assembly. We are asking that implementation be paused until voluntary care infrastructure (detox, treatment beds, recovery housing, Indigenous-led care) is actually in place across the province.
On the ground, in every community
Every signature is collected face-to-face — by neighbours, for neighbours.
In-Person Petition
Find a place to sign — or bring the petition to you
The petition is collected in person, in your community. Drop by a hosted signing event, invite a canvasser to your door, or offer your business as a signing location.
Event Map
Take Action
Contact your MLA in two minutes
Direct, respectful constituent letters are one of the most effective tools in Saskatchewan politics. Enter your postal code and we'll find your MLA and draft a letter you can email, print, or adapt in your own words.
Your letter
Personalize the tone and add your details. Edits made in the box below are saved when you copy or email.
Personalize the letter in your own words wherever you can — staff weigh authentic constituent letters far more heavily than form letters.
Get involved
Join the Voluntary Treatment First petition team.
Real change happens when neighbours show up for each other. There's a role here that fits the time, skills, and energy you have to give.
Leadership team
Campaign Director
Sarah Hunt
Volunteer Operations Manager
TBA — soon
Open volunteer roles: Team Leader and Volunteer. Leadership positions above are not open for sign-up — we recruit those directly.
Level 1 · Volunteer
Team Leader
Working supervisor on every shift. Runs briefings and debriefs, mentors new volunteers, secures petitions, and submits the same-day shift report.
Reports to: Volunteer Operations Manager
Manages: 4–6 Volunteers
Level 2 · Volunteer
Volunteer
Collects signatures, staffs events, and represents the campaign. Targets one shift per week and certification within 30 days of first shift.
Reports to: Team Leader
The front line
Sign up to volunteer
Tell us a little about you. Most people start as a Volunteer; experienced leaders can apply directly for Team Leader. We'll match you with a coordinator in your community within 5 business days.
30-minute onboarding before your first shift
Full 90-minute training within two weeks
Certified within 30 days — materials provided
Who we are
A Saskatchewan coalition built on care.
Voluntary Treatment First Saskatchewan is a grassroots coalition of concerned residents, healthcare workers, advocates, family members, and supporters of evidence-based recovery solutions.
We are nonpartisan. Our work is public-interest advocacy rooted in the conviction that better care infrastructure saves lives.
How you can help right now
✓Sign the petition
✓Volunteer with the campaign
✓Share campaign materials
✓Contact your MLA
✓Host local signature collection
✓Talk to your community
✓Support local harm reduction organizations
Our values
Compassion
We lead with empathy for people, families, and communities affected by addiction.
Evidence
Policy must follow clinical evidence and lived expertise — not political convenience.
Dignity
Care must respect the humanity, agency, and rights of every individual.
Accountability
Any intervention requires transparent oversight and measurable outcomes.
Recovery
We invest in the full continuum: detox, treatment, housing, and community.
Community Safety
Safer communities are built through care infrastructure, not detention alone.
Library
Resources & research
Briefings, evidence summaries, legal analysis, and downloadable campaign materials — organized for advocates, journalists, and policymakers.
STEP 01
STEP 02
STEP 03
STEP 04
STEP 05
