Kootenay Boundary to get eight new substance use treatment beds
By Interior Health Authority
An additional 73 substance use treatment beds are on their way to communities throughout Interior Health (IH). The new beds are part of IH’s plan to meet the Province’s 500 Substance Use Spaces Initiative and will support and enhance existing substance use treatment services across IH.
“These new beds for Interior Health are part of a large provincial initiative to improve care outcomes for individuals living with substance use challenges,” said Health Minister Terry Lake. “The beds will provide a safe and supportive environment for clients and are part of the Province’s commitment to add 500 additional substance use spaces throughout British Columbia by 2017.”
Of the 73 beds, 57 will be support recovery beds providing clients a safe, substance-free setting while they await residential treatment, return from residential treatment or transition to a more stable lifestyle. The remaining 16 beds will be withdrawal management beds (detox) supporting adults (12 beds) and youth (4 beds) through the early stages of withdrawal from alcohol and/or other substances.
The beds will be located in several communities throughout IH. The exact locations will be determined through the competitive procurement process:
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Thompson Cariboo 12 Support Recovery Beds and 4 Adult Withdrawal Management Beds
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Central Okanagan 9 Support Recovery Beds and 4 Youth Withdrawal Management Beds
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South Okanagan 10 Support Recovery Beds
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North Okanagan 6 Support Recovery Beds
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Kootenay Boundary 8 Support Recovery Beds and 8 Adult Withdrawal Management Beds
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East Kootenay 8 Support Recovery Beds
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IH Wide 4 Support Recovery Beds provided by an Aboriginal organization
“Improving outcomes for mental health and substance use clients is a top priority for Interior Health,” said IH Board Chair Erwin Malzer. “These additional treatment beds for both adults and youth represent a significant improvement and will help ensure appropriate levels of supports and services are available to those requiring them.”
The first round of the competitive procurement process will be posted to the BC Bid website next week for the creation of the 57 support recovery beds which includes four support recovery beds to be provided by an Aboriginal organization. Following a period of evaluation, IH anticipates the contracts will be awarded in summer 2016.
“We’re in the process of building a system to further support mental health and substance use health-care teams across Interior Health,” said IH Mental Health and Substance Use Executive Director David Harrhy. “We currently have 121 substance use treatment beds and the addition of these 73 new beds will allow us to better provide integrated specialized care planning and services in collaboration with clients and their families who have complex substance use issues.”
The second round of the competitive procurement process will be for the creation of the eight adult withdrawal management beds in the Kootenay Boundary. The third and final round will be for the creation of the four youth withdrawal management beds. There is no competitive procurement process planned for the four adult withdrawal management beds in the Thompson Cariboo as those beds are expected to be IH-operated. Overall completion of all 73 beds is anticipated for spring 2017.
IH is focusing its resources on five key strategies which will shift the system away from hospitals and towards care being provided in a community setting. One of these strategies is directed at improving primary and community care outcomes for mental health and substance use clients.
Interior Health is committed to promoting healthy lifestyles and providing a wide range of quality health-care services to more than 742,000 people living across B.C.’s vast interior. For more information, visit www.interiorhealth.ca, follow us on Twitter @Interior_Health, or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/InteriorHealth.
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