A new 50-bed recovery community opened its doors in Lethbridge today. The Lethbridge Recovery Community, operated by Fresh Start Recovery Centre, will provide addiction treatment programming and will allow individuals to stay up to one year.
According to the province, the facility can offer free treatment for up to 200 people each year. It is fully funded by the province, with a capital investment of $19 million and $3.4 million for operating annually.
BACKGROUND: Construction begins on 50-bed Lethbridge recovery community
“I believe that without these kinds of supports — with counselling, with social therapy, with psychological therapy and medical support that we offer, with an absolute high-quality treatment with a community like Fresh Start and what they have done — there is no other way that we are going to be able to address this deadly disease of addiction and the crisis that’s facing us,” said Alberta minister of mental health and addictions Dan Williams.
The provincial government has 11 recovery communities planned around Alberta and the Lethbridge one is the second to open after Red Deer. Williams said they are a part of a larger approach that also includes addressing housing, homelessness and public safety.
He said the province’s goal is to get treatment for everyone facing addiction, but there are policies in place for people who are not ready for recovery.
“The Alberta isn’t led by ideology, it is led by trying to follow the evidence—it is led by a sense of compassion and dignity of every single Albertan so examples I can point to that are really clear would be the virtual opioid dependency program,” Williams said. “Alberta has pioneered the only example that I know of, not just in Canada or North America or anywhere in the world, where you get same-day treatment for opioid agonist therapy so that could include methadone, suboxone, sublocade, these are treatments that are medical, they have very good evidence behind them.”
He added anyone who is struggling with addiction and wants help can reach out by calling 211.