The B.C. government says 40 more publicly-funded substance-use treatment beds have opened on Vancouver Island.
People can access the beds for free after being referred to them by a health-care professional. The treatment is funded through $8 million from the province annually.
The 40 new beds are located on southern and central Vancouver Island. It’s estimated that the new treatment spots will help about 200 people annually.
The location of the new beds can be found below:
- 15 beds at Cedars Recovery on Vancouver Island
- 10 beds at Edgewood Treatment Centre in Nanaimo
- five beds at Homewood Ravensview in North Saanich
- 10 Indigenous-focused beds at Kackaamin Family Development Centre in Port Alberni
Treatment can range from 50 days to 90 days, with patients encouraged to participate in a nine-to-12-month virtual after-care program following their release.
Island Health board chair Leah Hollins says the new publicly-funded treatment beds are a first of their kind on Vancouver Island.
Previously, Islanders would have to travel to the Lower Mainland to receive the same “intensive treatment.”
“When people make the courageous decision to call for help, they need to be met with quality care close to their home,” said B.C. Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Jennifer Whiteside.
“We are expanding access to substance-use treatment beds on Vancouver Island so that people will have options closer to home and get treatment while staying connected to their family and community,” she said in a release Thursday.
There are now 704 substance-use treatment beds on Vancouver Island.
As of Aug. 2023, there were 3,277 public-funded addictions treatment beds across B.C., including the ones on the Island.
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