People in northeastern British Columbia are one step closer to a new centre that will offer a holistic, culturally safe approach to addictions treatment and recovery, supporting more people on their healing journey.

New minimum standards for overdose prevention services are being introduced to enhance safety, improve consistency, and ensure greater oversight for clients, staff delivering life-saving services and members of the community.

New care beds at Alouette Homes will soon support more people requiring long-term involuntary care with a safe, home-like setting and specialized care that meets their unique needs.

Work is underway to bring approximately 20 complex-care homes with robust health and social supports to people with complex mental-health and substance-use challenges in Nanaimo.

New clinical guidance will offer best practices for recognizing and supporting people at risk for suicide, helping more people get the right care and saving more lives.

Josie Osborne, Minister of Health, and Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer, have issued the following statements marking the ninth anniversary of the toxic-drug crisis being declared a public health emergency:

Indigenous women with complex mental-health and substance-use challenges in and around Surrey will soon have access to safe, culturally supportive housing and wraparound services to help them with their recovery.