Health
To raise awareness and help share the stories of people in recovery from substance-use disorder, the Province proclaims Sept. 10 as Recovery Day.
“Recovery Day celebrates the important role recovery plays in helping people manage substance-use disorder,” said Health Minister Terry Lake. “The right services and treatments can be transformative, and in the face of the overdose crisis we’re currently facing, continuing to strengthen provincial supports is more important than ever.”
On July 27, 2016, Premier Christy Clark announced a new Joint Task Force on Overdose Prevention and Response. Headed by Dr. Perry Kendall, provincial health officer and Clayton Pecknold, director of police services the task force is providing expert leadership and advice to government on additional actions to strengthen the provincial response.
The actions being taken under the task force support the ongoing work to support and treat British Columbians with substance use issues. In the past two years, more than 220 new addiction treatment beds have been opened provincewide as part of government’s commitment to open 500 new beds by 2017. Additional beds will continue to be opened in the coming months. Over the next three years, five new integrated youth centres offering mental health, substance use, primary care and social service centres will open and serve up to 1,200 to 2,500 youth in each of the five communities thanks in part to $3 million in government funding.
The Crossing at Keremeos facility, a new provincial 22-bed program that will provide treatment for youth and young adults with substance-use disorders, is scheduled to open in 2017. A dedicated 10-bed hospital unit for youth with mental-health and substance-use challenges is under construction at the HOpe Centre at Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver. As well, in September 2015, government provided $1 million to operate and staff 20 new complex mental-health and substance-use beds through the Baldy Hughes Therapeutic Community & Farm, which supports men on their journey to recovery.
Over the past two years, funding also been provided to support additional substance-use services delivered by non-profit organizations like Turning Point Recovery Society, New Hope Recovery Society, InnerChange Foundation, Watari Counselling, Support Services Society and more.
The ministry is also strengthening the Opioid Substitution Treatment program by investing in research and clinical practice. In August 2014, the Ministry of Health provided $3 million to harness new ways to treat substance-use disorders and related health concerns.
Since the task force was announced, government launched the first phase of a provincial overdose awareness campaign and website to increase awareness on how to prevent, identify and respond to overdoses. The BC Centre for Disease Control is expanding the Take Home Naloxone program to include all emergency departments and public health units.
Learn More:
To learn more about how to prevent and respond to an overdose, please visit: www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/overdose
To learn more about the Joint Task Force on Overdose Response, please visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2016PREM0082-001361
