Maple Creek will soon have one more tool in the toolbox to address mental health issues.

Fresh Start has expanded its services to assist the community in terms of mental health.

With a branch already in Swift Current, provincial funding from the 2019 budget helped the organization to launch a program that will operate out of Maple Creek's Great Plains College facility to offer walk-in counselling.

Sally Wiens, the executive director of Fresh Start, said that once they were able to establish themselves in Swift Current, they wanted to spread their services.

"We believe that it was equally important for those people living in those rural areas to have access to this same great service."

"Now that our Swift Current En Route walk-in clinic is established, we're excited to be branching out to serve the people in Maple Creek, as well as the surrounding area."

She added that Swift Current and Maple Creek are similar in that they both act as an urban hub for their surrounding communities.

Wiens described the benefits associated with walk-in counselling.

"You'll get counselling service possibly quicker, which takes some pressure off of the systems that are currently in place, but also provides that more rapid service to the individual that's looking for counselling."

The branch will have an official opening ceremony on Friday, which Wiens invited the residents of Maple Creek and surrounding areas to attend.

She said that working with Maple Creek has been a great experience for them.

"They have been just so supportive of launching this. The Town of Maple Creek, Great Plains College, all the agencies, the RCMP, the organizations we have been in dialogue with have been really really supportive, and we're looking forward to building relationships out there with some of the other players in the community."

The partnership with Great Plains College was used as an example of a great connection they were able to make in the community in preparation for the expansion.

"They share the exact same vision, so it seemed almost like a no-brainer. We needed a place to host the clinic, they're willing to host it, so they will host, we will provide the walk-in counselling service, so that's a great partnership."

Wiens added that they're prioritizing stabilizing their Maple Creek branch, but following that, would keep expanding to further communities in mind.