Calgary Drop-In gets 35 detox and recovery beds
Posted Jun 9, 2023 10:22 am.
Funding from the provincial government is helping the Calgary Drop-In Centre provide more support for those struggling with addiction to withdraw from drugs or alcohol under medical supervision.
The $4-million initiative was announced Thursday, with the organization explaining the money will add 35 detox and recovery beds and staff to triage and support people at the drop-in centre.
The facility, which also provides meals, access to low-barrier healthcare, and housing supports for adults at risk of or experiencing homelessness, works collaboratively to support each person’s transition to the “most independent living possible,” the centre says.
The addition of new programs is a step toward treating addiction as a health issue and focusing on recovery-oriented care for the drop-in centre, it adds.
“As we continue to see an escalation in the drug crisis, programs like these will help remove barriers so more Calgarians can move through stages of recovery and, ultimately, housing,” the Calgary Drop-In Centre said in a statement.
New programming will include addictions counselling, recovery care planning, goal setting and discharge planning, diversion and housing support, life skills, and wellness activities, it added.
Care teams will include physicians or nurse practitioners, registered and licensed practical nurses, peer support workers, recovery care workers, and addictions counsellors, who will work with clients to refer them to housing supports, treatment centres, or other recovery-oriented servicers.
While the programs will support clients of the drop-in centre, external referrals will also be supported to allow for the broadest impact.
In the new withdrawal management program, centre clients will actively participate in their discharge planning and programming while also having access to medical and non-medical supports, the drop-in centre explained.
The program was tested in April with a five-bed pilot, which the Calgary Drop-In Centre says had promising results.
The organization says it will have the potential to support 1,000 people a year in these new programs.
