CASA Youth Mental Health, web image
Fort McMurray — CASA Mental Health is preparing to build a new youth mental health treatment facility in Fort McMurray that will serve up to 80 young people and their families each year.
The non-profit organization, which provides mental health treatment for children and youth aged three to 18, says the new CASA House will be located in the city’s south end between Quarry Ridge Road and Highway 63. It will offer both day treatment and live-in programs for adolescents facing complex mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, ADHD and bipolar disorder.
“Fort McMurray families in particular have experienced ongoing trauma from wildfires, and stress and isolation from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Bonnie Blakley, CASA’s chief executive officer. “With intergenerational trauma and stress from economic cycles tied to local industries, increasing access to timely youth mental health services is more important than ever.”
Construction on the 3,240-square-metre facility is expected to begin in spring 2026, with opening planned for fall 2027. Clark Builders has been awarded the contract to lead the project.
“This project represents the next chapter in a partnership that began nearly a decade ago with the CASA Centre in Edmonton,” said Steve Lenarduzzi, president of Clark Builders. “For us, construction is more than building structures, it’s about enriching lives and strengthening communities.”
Once complete, CASA House will provide live-in care for up to 57 youth and day treatment for 24 others each year, supported by a multidisciplinary team that includes psychiatrists, nurses, therapists and behavioural specialists. About 40 staff members will work at the facility.
Alberta’s government has committed $75 million toward CASA’s capital expansion projects, which include three new CASA House facilities across the province and a new Edmonton-area building.
“A new CASA House in Fort McMurray will help Albertans in the area access these important services closer to home,” said Rick Wilson, Alberta’s minister of mental health and addiction.
Blakley said CASA aims to fill “the missing middle” of the mental health system by offering services that are more intensive than primary care but not as acute as hospital-based treatment.
Founded in 1988, CASA Mental Health operates as an independent, accredited non-profit organization. Its programs are designed to ensure that children, youth and their families can access timely, community-based mental health care close to home.
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