Calgary Drop-In Centre receives $4M in funding to expand detox and recovery services
The provincial government has committed more than $4 million to help the Calgary Drop-In Centre and Albertans looking to beat addiction.
Fifteen medical detox and 20 pre-treatment beds will be created at the centre, which can support up to 1,000 Calgarians each year.
They'll help Albertans struggling with addiction to "safely withdraw from drugs or alcohol under medical supervision," explained a Wednesday news release.
Overdose teams, meanwhile, will work with local organizations to respond to overdoses both at the Drop-In Centre and in the community.
The teams will triage and treat patients in the centre soon, but there is no timeline for the mobile aspect of the rollout.
"People struggling with mental health and addiction deserve compassion and support, and at the Drop-In Centre, they receive both," said Sandra Clarkson, the centre's executive director.
"We’re pleased to work with Alberta’s government to deliver critical services to those in need and help more vulnerable people in our communities pursue recovery from addiction."
Nicholas Milliken, Alberta’s minister of mental health and addiction, says the impact of the funding will be 'life-saving and life-changing' for many Albertans."
RECOVERY ROAD
The funding is the latest provincial commitment to fighting addiction with a "recovery-oriented model of care," according to Milliken.
But while the UCP government repeatedly stresses the importance of treatment, some harm-reduction advocates call the laser-focused intent a missed opportunity.
"Recovery is just one step, and we're not really talking about the other parts," said Kat Hedges with the Alberta Alliance Who Educates and Advocates Responsibly.
"What about basic access to housing, food and job opportunities? I want to see where those pieces are."
Advocates say they're disappointed Wednesday's announcement didn't include more information about the Sheldon Chumir supervised consumption site, which was announced to be closed almost two years ago.
The province has yet to shutter or replace the service.
"The (Drop-In Centre) would be a great option to have a safe consumption site, and I think that's step No. 1," Hedges said.
Albertans experiencing addiction and mental-health challenges can call 211 Alberta, the Addiction Helpline or the Mental Health Helpline for support, information and referrals.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.