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Fraser Health Increasing Substance Use Services In Abbotsford And Chilliwack

Chilliwack/Abbotsford/Surrey – Fraser Health is increasing access to treatment with the balance of 147 new substance use treatment beds now open. We are also expanding substance use services in Abbotsford and Chilliwack to support marginalized people who face barriers in accessing support for their addiction.

The new beds fulfill the remainder of Fraser Health’s 147-bed contribution to the 500 new substance use treatment beds committed by Premier Christy Clark. The new additions are a combination of stabilization/supportive recovery beds and intensive residential treatment beds, and include specialized services for South Asian men, Indigenous men and women, young men and women ages 19 to 24, and women (including pregnant women).

As of March 31, 2017, the following new beds were open, bringing our total to 147 new substance use treatment beds:

Fraser East

Abbotsford

·         Elizabeth Fry Society – Firth Stellar: adult support recovery residential services for young women ages 19-24

Agassiz

·         Seabird Island Band – A:yelexw Women’s Home: adult support recovery residential services for Indigenous women, including those who are pregnant

·         Seabird Island Band – A:yelexw Men’s Home: adult support recovery residential services for Indigenous men

Chilliwack

·         Elizabeth Fry Society – Rosedale*: intensive residential treatment services for women

*These beds will be temporarily located in Surrey and New Westminster before being permanently relocated to Chilliwack in early May.

Clearbrook

·         Peardonville House: additional intensive residential treatment beds for women

Fraser North

Maple Ridge

·         Hanna House: additional adult support recovery residential services for women

New Westminster

·         Last Door Recovery Society: additional adult support recovery residential services for men

·         Westminster House: additional adult support recovery residential services for women

Fraser South

Surrey

·         Phoenix House: adult transitional beds for men

·         Path to Freedom: additional adult support recovery residential services for South Asian men

·         Lookout Emergency Aid Society – Crawford Manor: adult support recovery residential services for men ages 19 to 24.

 

In Abbotsford, a new nurse practitioner, social worker and community outreach nurse will help people with substance dependence that are not currently attached to substance use services and may have multiple barriers to doing so. In collaboration with existing non-clinical outreach and social services, these new services will:

·         Provide intensive support and stabilization to people with complex challenges related to health, housing, poverty, and other barriers

·         Move people toward recovery from substance dependence

·         Link people to housing and treatment.

In Chilliwack, new community outreach nurses will enable Chilliwack’s outreach team to provide services seven days per week, 12 hours per day. The expanded outreach team will:

·         Provide services to people with serious mental health or substance use problems that require intensive outreach

·         Work with Chilliwack General Hospital’s emergency department and inpatient units to identify patients with substance use needs who can be safely discharged and be better served in a community setting.

These services align with Fraser Health’s commitment to improving treatment services, and complement investments in opioid treatment medications and intensive case management teams that have been announced over the past year. Efforts to address the public health emergency in the region continue to move forward, as we partner with our communities to embed overdose prevention services in appropriate locations, place ‘Take Home Naloxone’ in the hands of more people, enhance harm reduction services and expand public engagement and communication campaigns.

Dr. Victoria Lee, Chief Medical Health Officer, Fraser Health

“We have focused on increasing treatment services as a component of Fraser Health’s comprehensive overdose prevention and response strategy. These new substance use treatment beds and enhanced services in two of our communities will help support a person to begin the road to recovery.”

Abbotsford South MLA Darryl Plecas
“Young patients living with substance dependence may also face complex challenges that make treatment much more difficult. These additional services will provide them with access to resources that will fit their individual needs.”

Abbotsford-Mission MLA Simon Gibson
“By linking people with treatment facilities and providing additional services such as assistance with housing, we are moving towards a better model to promote recovery.”

Chilliwack MLA John Martin
“The outreach teams will be in a better position to identify patients suffering from mental illness and addictions. We can look forward to better outcomes by matching individuals with the care and treatment that most suits their condition.”

Chilliwack–Hope MLA Laurie Throness
“By taking a holistic approach to treatment, patients suffering from complex conditions will have a much better chance at recovery at facilities that are close to their own community.”

Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun

“This enhancement of substance use services is great news for Abbotsford, as people struggling with addiction to substances will have increased opportunities to access treatment, connect with services such as housing, and move toward recovery.”

Chilliwack Mayor Sharon Gaetz

“The expanded outreach team will make a meaningful difference to people in Chilliwack who have mental health or substance use concerns, helping them connect to services that will address their unique needs and ultimately stabilize their lives.”

 

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