A six-bed center designed to provide cultural and trauma information will welcome women who islanders believe are in need of mental health and addiction treatment.
The Coastal Sage Healing Home at the Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria will provide treatment for women and non-binary people with moderate to severe substance use challenges and concurrent social, mental and physical health needs, Nanaimo MLA Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Mental Health and addiction, announced Monday (November 14).
She toured the facility prior to the announcement, noting that it had a sense of home and community.
“It’s connected to nature, it’s connected to home, it’s really been designed to be a healing home, that’s what it feels like,” she said.
“We’ve heard of people who work hard to detox or get treatment and then they find this place is not for them, they miss their family, they miss the feeling of home, they are in such a challenging time. So, as a government, we Really determined to be really supportive so that people get services in a way that works for them.”
Women can stay for up to 90 days based on individual care needs and receive a full range of services including clinical support, self-care activities, support groups, outings and independent free time. The program promises to continue supporting participants after they leave.
The beds help fill gaps in treatment coverage, said Victoria MLA Grace Lore, who was on the tour as parliamentary secretary for gender equality.
“Given what we know about the overlap of substance use, mental health and gender-based violence, adding these six beds for this population is important to achieve healing and to address some of the underlying causes of addressing substance issues and meeting people’s mental health. way to feel safe,” Lore said.
As of June, there were 3,272 publicly funded youth and adult drug rehab beds in British Columbia, 648 of which were in Island Health. This is Island Health’s first bed-based addiction treatment for women on Vancouver Island.
Malcolmson said the province has five beds run by other agencies, three through the Comox Valley Transition Society, which primarily serves Aboriginal women, and two at Fraser Valley Health through the Elizabeth Fry Society, which focuses on pregnant and parenting women. .
“I hope there will be more news and we will have news on this in the future.”
The center expects to begin accepting participants early next year.
Do you have a story tip? Email: [email protected]
follow us Twitter and Instagram, like us Facebook.
Addiction Treatment Mental Health
<!– View Comments –>