By Liam Verster

Addressing addiction

Switch to fully publicly-funded addiction treatment program being viewed as a positive

Feb 17, 2021 | 12:52 PM

The transition from a pay-for-service model to a publicly-funded 21-day residential treatment program at the Northern Addictions Centre is being viewed as a positive step that will allow for more people to seek treatment.

The transition, which was announced last week, will see the final eight beds in the Centre’s pay-for-service residential treatment program moved to the publicly-funded model, which will now have a total of 40 beds available at no cost to the user.

“With that shift we’ve been able to actually make some further increases in bed availability in the community, so it’s a real positive in terms of increasing the capacity to support individuals that need addiction treatment in the Peace Country area,” says Susan Given, the Executive Director for North Zone Addiction and Mental Health for Alberta Health Services.

The program is designed to support individuals through one-on-one, group, and virtual counselling. It’s also intended to identify the specific needs of an individual, and find ways to address those needs in a recovery focused approach.

Though the program will benefit many, it’s just part of a long-term continuum of care needed to address addiction and allow a person to fully recover.

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“Really the success is tied to trying to support people to complete the program, and then really connecting the individual with appropriate supports after the treatment is completed,” says Given.

“Recovery isn’t completed in a 21-day program, but over a course of time, and really supporting that journey and connecting the individual with the other resources that are available in the community both through AHS and a variety of other resources that are available through private streams.”

Given points to a few of the resources in Grande Prairie, including a detox program; an outpatient program for mental health and addiction; and the opioid dependency clinic, all of which are operated in the Northern Addiction Centre. Also available in the community are private clinics that address opioid-dependency; overdose prevention sites; and youth outpatient, detox and stabilization supports that are available through contracted services.

Given adds that, from what she’s seen, the COVID-19 pandemic has created more opportunities for people to have open discussions on the topics of addiction and mental health. She hopes that people educate themselves on the resources available in the community so they can seek treatment and begin their journey along the road to recovery.