By Chris Brown

Locations still to be decided

Province to build mental health and addiction recovery communities

Jul 15, 2020 | 2:23 PM

The provincial government is investing $25 million to build five brand new treatment centres called recovery communities across Alberta.

“These life-changing facilities will offer long-term residential treatment for mental health and substance use disorders, adding 400 new treatment beds to the province, which is a 30 per cent increase to our current capacity,” said Jason Luan, associate minister of mental health and addictions.

Locations for the recovery communities are still being finalized, based on need. Luan anticipates they will start accepting patients early next year.

Luan said recovery communities are treatment options used in more than 65 countries, including in the highly regarded Portuguese model.

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“Also known as therapeutic communities they take a holistic approach to treatment, focusing in on the mind, body and spirit,” he said. “Participants at the facility have the opportunity to re-learn and re-establish social functioning, employment skills and positive community and family ties.”

As participants progress through the treatment stages they gradually take on more personal and social responsibilities, said Luan. After completing treatment they are connected with ongoing support to help ensure long-term recovery.

Earl Thiessen, executive director, Oxford House Foundation of Canada, said a similar peer-supported recovery housing organization helped save his life.

“Recovery communities are going to provide people with the opportunity to develop self-esteem, self-worth and the ability to make thoughtful, beneficial decisions to move forward in their lives and how to deal with pressure situations with a positive response instead of a negative reaction,” he said.

Oxford House provides people in recovery from addictions a supportive program and safe home to achieve a productive, rewarding, clean and sober life.

The $25 million will come from Alberta’s Economic Recovery Plan.

Luan said work continues to realign proposed virtual supervised consumption sites with the continuing care model direction the government is taking.

The virtual sites were to launch last month but the government halted the plan hours before the launch.