The ongoing pandemic has been tough on treatment and recovery providers across Vancouver Island, so the B.C. government is stepping up to help.
A total of ten substance recovery organizations on the island are splitting just under $350,000 in funding.
In the Cowichan Valley, the Cedars Detox, Alcohol and Drug Treatment Facility is getting a $45,000 boost.
B.C.’s minister of mental health and addictions, Sheila Malcolmson, says the overlapping overdose and COVID-19 emergencies have created “unparalleled challenges for British Columbians, especially those with substance use disorders.”
While the majority of bed-based treatment and recovery services have kept their doors open through the pandemic, the province says modified operating practices required to meet public health requirements – such as physical distancing – created financial pressures for operators.
“These grants are helping offset the pressures and enabling ongoing access to services, which is a critical part of B.C.’s overdose response,” the province says.
Province-wide, 53 eligible grant applications came in and all were awarded, totalling just over $2 million. In addition to the ten applications on Vancouver Island, 25 were from Fraser Health, eight from Vancouver Coastal Health, seven from Interior Health, and two from Northern Health.
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