MACSI plans to apply for funding to open new pre- and post-treatment beds, but has not yet decided if their Prince Albert Centre will be part of the application (file photo/paNOW staff)

By Alison Sandstrom

Addictions treatment

New beds promised to address ‘high need’ for addictions treatment

Sep 24, 2019 | 5:12 PM

The provincial government has announced plans to open 50 new pre- and post- addictions treatment beds across the province.

Private sector providers and community-based organizations have until the end of September to apply for the funding. Members of the SHA hope to have most of the spaces open by the end of the year.

“Deciding to enter treatment is a big step,” Colleen Quinlan, SHA Executive Director of Mental Health and Addictions Services said in a press release. “Having a place to stay that is safe, stable and supportive can help people stick to their plan to get into treatment and mitigate relapses. After treatment, these beds will provide needed support to people while they focus on their recovery and put into practice what they learned in treatment.”

The Métis Addictions Council of Saskatchewan (MACSI) operates treatment centres in Prince Albert, Saskatoon and Regina. Their P.A. facility has an 18-bed 28-day residential treatment centre, as well as six stabilization beds which are used mostly for detox.

Because of the way opioids and crystal meth act on the brain, experts say the standard 28-day treatment model simply isn’t enough time in most cases.

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Raymond Laliberte, MACSI executive director, told paNOW there is a “high-need” for a place where people who have completed residential treatment in P.A. can stay.

“We deal with them for 28 days, like most centres in Saskatchewan, and they require more time to transition back into the community,” Laliberte said. “This would provide a safe space to do that and receive additional programming at the same time while they’re thinking about changing their life.”

According to the release, the new residences will also support clients to develop daily living skills and coping mechanisms in a home-like communal environment.

According to Laliberte, MACSI plans to apply for funding to open some of the 50 beds but hasn’t decided yet if their Prince Albert centre will be part of that application.

This latest call for proposals is part of the commitment to invest in addictions treatment that the province made during the last budget.

“It will make a big difference I think, but there’s always more to be done, we can all do more,” Laliberte said.

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom