Latest news with #addictions
CBC
2 days ago
- Business
- CBC
N.W.T. government ends relationship with B.C. treatment facility
The N.W.T. government is no longer contracting a B.C. facility to provide addictions and PTSD treatment to territorial residents, but past participants credit the program with their continued sobriety and healing. Edgewood Health Network in Nanaimo was "not successful" in securing a renewed contract, spokesperson for the facility Mary Doyle said in an email. In its own response, the N.W.T. Health department said Edgewood did not apply on a request for proposals in August 2025. Department spokesperson Andrew Wind said in an email the government sent 105 residents to the facility in the last year. He said clients of the Nanaimo program with intake dates up to and including March 14 would still be funded for the duration of their treatment and a year after. Neither the department nor Edgewood could confirm how many people were waitlisted when the contract lapsed on March 31. The end of the contract could be discouraging for patients who relapse and want to return to a facility they are familiar with, said Peyton Straker, who attended Edgewood and is active in Nanaimo's recovery community. Straker, who is originally from the N.W.T., celebrated 12 months of sobriety in May. Past participants say program helped, but had flaws Straker said they found the treatment effective — the program they were in lets clients leave the facility for Narcotics and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and interact with the recovery community through support groups and rallies. It wasn't perfect, though. Straker said there was room for improvement, especially where Indigenous cultural sensitivity was concerned, since smudging and beadwork supplies weren't allowed into the facility when they were there. The facility applied "rigid" visitation policies that recognized nuclear families, but turned away visitors with other ties, they said. Straker said they thrived in the reading and writing components of the program, but saw N.W.T. clients with low-literacy struggle. Straker observed that clients fluent in Dene languages, but who could not read or write in English, were not given accessibility accommodations to understand reading and writing assignments. For those patients, "not having the ability to read or write really interferes with your treatment plan, but nobody tells you that before you arrive," they said. Aftercare options to help people stay sober are also costly, and not subsidized despite being a "key piece of what keeps people clean," said Straker. A privately-operated living space that is a safe, substance-free place to maintain your recovery can cost between $1,600 and $3,500 and is not covered by the government, they said. Staying clean post-treatment is critical, because relapse after treatment carries the highest fatality risk, they said. "The financial strain makes it so that patients aren't actually able to follow the recovery suggestions that are given by the recovery treatment itself," they said. Straker said when they attended Edgewood, the program cost between $40,000 and $50,000 for anywhere from 50 to 120 days of programming, which is paid by the territorial government. The health department budgeted $3 million for facility-based addictions treatment in 2024/25, and contracts six different facilities in Alberta, Ontario and B.C. Other ways to access programs Edgewood told CBC News that N.W.T. residents can still access its treatment programs through "other available funding channels" like Jordan's Principle, employer benefits, or unions. The Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC) is another funding pathway. Edgewood offers a program for first responders seeking treatment for PTSD. Seann May, a firefighter in Yellowknife, said he attended the program last year — nearly 20 years after he responded to a 2005 fire where the building collapsed and killed two firefighters. May turned to alcohol to cope with the feelings brought on by that workplace fatality. May said at the worst points, his wife had packed her bags. In 2019, he was diagnosed with PTSD. May said he put in a claim to the WSCC in 2024, and got into treatment by going through counselling at the Tree of Peace Friendship Centre in Yellowknife. He said the contract with Edgewood lapsing is a "big shame," because its counselling for addictions was "phenomenal." He said the sessions he took through Edgewood gave him tools to regulate his emotions, helped him rebuild trust with his children and made him more focused at work. May said once he got in, he "thought the world" of the program. "I wake up happy every day, rather than doing the morning ritual, trying to drink coffee so I can hide my breath," he said. "I feel like I can take my day on."
CBC
5 days ago
- General
- CBC
Downtown Windsor crisis centre has seen 150 first responder, ER referrals since going 24/7
A downtown Windsor, Ont., centre for urgent addictions and mental health crises says it's seen a big jump in referrals since expanding its services this spring. Aside from accepting walk-ins, it now takes drop offs from EMS and local police, and creates an alternative to the emergency department for officers and paramedics to bring people in crisis. The unit now accepts intakes 24/7. The centre is located at 1030 Ouellette Ave. and is adjacent to the Goyeau Street entrance of Windsor Regional Hospital's emergency room. It also now has four stabilization care beds where someone can stay for 48 hours, with an entrance that's monitored by security, including a metal detector. The Mental Health and Addictions Urgent Crisis Centre (MHAUCC) provides service to people 16 years of age or older and is run by Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH) and the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). Tammy Kotyk, vice-president of mental health and addictions services at HDGH, says since the hours were extended they've seen some "really good results," including in May. The unit's staffing includes social support workers, nurses and a psychiatrist — with connections to wraparound services. Kotyk said before the round-the-clock hours they were averaging two first responder drop-offs per month. This spring that's grown to approximately 50 drop-offs and roughly 100 referrals from hospital emergency departments. "Now that we're able to keep individuals, hold on to them for a longer period of time, it's really opened up that opportunity to send people [to the crisis centre]," said Kotyk. She says even though more attention is given to local opioid addiction cases — of which they see many — alcohol dependency continues to be the largest substance abuse problem in the community. Others are coming to their front door experiencing psychosocial situational crises, added Kotyk. "They're looking for housing … some of them are dealing with depression, anxiety and things like that," she said. "We're seeing everything across the spectrum from your mild to your more moderate to severe presentations." The centre treats voluntary patients, however, one caveat includes involuntary clients deemed incapable by a physician who require a Form 47 — that's an Ontario Ministry of Health provision that allows for mandated supervised treatment. According to Kotyk, the extended service and additional people using the centre have been spread out throughout the day so far. "It's not clustered. We're not seeing more people showing up at night because now we're open at night." She says prior to the expansion, they were seeing around 140 people a month and that's jumped closer to 230 now. "I think it's just getting people aware that you don't have to go wait in an emergency department if you have a mental health crisis or you're looking for support for your addiction needs, that there's an alternative place to go." The unit is currently funded through HDGH's existing budget, but they have put in a request to the province for future funding. Windsor police encouraged The Windsor Police Service says it's "encouraged" by the expanded services. The force highlighted 12 admissions to the centre from their officers in May. "All of these programs help our officers get back on the road more quickly to respond to urgent calls, while still ensuring that people in crisis receive the care and support they need," the police service said in a statement. "We are grateful for our partnerships with health and human services providers across the community, and look forward to seeing continued positive results." In a statement, Essex-Windsor EMS said its paramedics had brought 29 patients to the unit since the hours increased. "That is more than we could have delivered there without the extended hours. Those are also 29 patients who got the right care at the right place at the right time," Chief Justin Lammers said in a statement. "We continue to work with Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare and Windsor Regional Hospital to find innovative ways to reduce pressures on emergency departments and reduce ambulance offload delays." Ahead of the expansion, Windsor police Chief Jason Bellaire said he felt it would make a big impact. "Being able to bring somebody who has agreed, in a moment of clarity to say, 'I would like to enter withdrawal management' or 'I'd like some certain services,' to have the ability to transport that person to this centre here," Bellaire said, "and they immediately start to receive care."
CBC
5 days ago
- General
- CBC
This downtown Windsor crisis centre has seen 150 first responder and ER referrals since going 24/7
The Mental Health and Addictions Urgent Crisis Centre says it's seen a big jump in referrals since expanding its services this spring. It has four stabilization beds that allow people to stay for up to 48 hours.
CTV News
5 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare expands Mental Health and Addictions Urgent Crisis Centre hours
Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH) has expanded its hours for the Mental Health and Addictions Urgent Crisis Centre. It said this is in an effort to support Windsor-Essex who are experiencing mental health or addictions crisis and giving another option instead of emergency departments. The centre will now give in-person crisis assessment services Monday through Friday, 24 hours a day. HDGH said it also has 24/7 voluntary drop-offs for EMS and policing partners, while continuing to focus on making a specialized system. 'HDGH reinforces its role in our community as a crucial resource for those experiencing a mental health or addictions crisis who cannot safely wait for community mental health and addiction support.
CTV News
27-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Victoria garners bad press for homeless crisis
Vancouver Watch B.C.'s capital is under fire in the national media for its addictions and homelessness crises, with
