The province is funding 10 new substance us and withdrawal treatment beds at a treatment centre outside Cranbrook in partnership with Interior Health and the Ktunaxa Nation.
The new beds at Recovery Ranch — just north of Fort Steele — are already being provided by Edgewood Health Network and are prioritized for Indigenous clients.
Five beds are dedicated for young adult substance-use treatment, and the other five are dedicated for adult withdrawal beds.
“When people in the Cranbrook region make the courageous decision to reach out for help, we want services close to home,” said Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “These 10 treatment beds, plus expanded mental health services, will help people get on their pathway to recovery. In addition to the hundreds of treatment beds we’ve already opened, they’re a vital part of the system of care we’re working urgently to build.”
On Thursday morning, Malcolmson toured the facilities out at Recovery Ranch, formerly known as Top of the World, which was recently acquired by EHN Canada, a network of recovery centres across the country that provides a number of mental health and substance use treatment options and programs.
“We are excited about the opportunity to dive into this work, in collaboration with partners in the community and Interior Health, and continue developing the landscape for a recovery-oriented system of care in the Interior,” said Carlee Campbell, director of operations, Western Canada, Edgewood Health Network, in a news release.
”We hope to provide excellent, short- and long-term, person-centered and self-directed services, that are evidence-based, and will strengthen all patient’s recovery capital and will honour both the individual needs of patients, while also relying on the strength of best practice.”
The 10 beds will be funded through an annual $675,000 contract administered by Interior Health.
“The care provided at the Recovery Ranch will help people be successful in the early days of their recovery by providing well-supported withdrawal management,” said Diane Shendruk, vice-president, clinical operations (North), Interior Health, in a news release. “In addition, the facility will strive to offer culturally safe care in a stable setting for young adults to focus on their longer-term wellness goals.”
Along with the 10 publicly funded treatment beds at Recovery Ranch, Malcolmson also announced the addition of 12 staff positions in Cranbrook to expand existing mental health and substance use supports for youth and adults in the region.
The new positions include adding health care workers to the intensive case management team, as well as new early psychosis intervention services, which will be offered out of a new office location at 2-926 Baker St.