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By Justin Goulet

Police in Alberta to offer “immediate access” to addiction treatment to arrested individuals

Dec 16, 2021 | 2:58 PM

CALGARY, AB – Police in Alberta are making history.

The province has announced a first in Canada, noting police officers will now be able to offer immediate access to addiction treatment upon an individual’s arrest.

Albertans who are taken into police custody and who have an addiction to opioids will now have the ability to immediately start evidence-based medication treatment voluntarily in municipal jails.

To support this new initiative, the provincial government is investing $1.4 million to expand and create a low barrier/harm reduction division of the virtual opioid dependency program (VODP). The division will do rapid assessment and treatment initiations for people struggling with addiction and opioid use and will provide enhanced case management for clients after their release from custody. Total provincial funding for the VODP is $6.4 million per year.

Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Mike Ellis said, “Albertans have yet another opportunity to choose treatment and recovery over a life in addiction. Albertans must still be held accountable for their actions, but we can also treat addiction as a health-care issue at the same time.”

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“The recovery-oriented system of care we’re building is about ensuring Albertans across multiple systems have access to evidence-based treatment options when and where they need them.”

The implementation of addiction treatment in municipal jails will start with the Edmonton Police Service, the Calgary Police Service and at some rural locations within the RCMP. The voluntary service is available to Albertans who have been arrested for any offence starting immediately, with some treatment initiations having already taken place.

Additionally, all Albertans have access to the newly funded drug Sublocade, which lasts in an individual’s system for 30 days. The province says it provides stabilization, reduced cravings and significantly enhanced protection against overdoses. The Alberta Government believes the drug has the potential to “greatly reduce” the rate of opioid-related fatalities after discharge from municipal jails.

Chief of the Calgary Police Service Mark Neufeld said, “the Calgary Police Service supports collaborative solutions that help tackle the addiction crisis. Enforcement alone isn’t enough. We need to address the issue holistically to help protect our communities.”

“Our officers look forward to partnering with VODP to ensure that all of our detainees have access to these life saving medications.”

The province is also providing $600,000 to the Edmonton Police Service to hire more social navigators to its Human-centred Engagement and Liaison Partnership (HELP) teams. The HELPS teams, which pair police constables and social navigators, work closely with community organizations and focus their efforts on assuring people struggling with mental health and addiction can access recovery-oriented health care and social supports so they do not become entrenched in the judicial system.

Chief of the Edmonton Police Service Dale McFee said, “as part of a comprehensive recovery-oriented system of care, we need to provide treatment options wherever possible. Edmonton Police Service welcomes the addition of addiction treatment into our detainee management unit.”

“Addiction is a healthcare issue, and we must treat it as one while still holding people accountable to the community for their criminal actions. These actions take some much needed steps in bridging law enforcement with healthcare to get better outcomes for people in need.”

More information on the virtual opioid dependency program can be found here.