Help Finding Public Drug and Alcohol Treatment in Alberta
This month, learn how to access public drug and alcohol treatment in Alberta in the next installment of Provincial Snapshot. Each month Canada Drug Rehab is outlining the steps you must take to access public drug and alcohol treatment in each province. If you read the blog on Alberta’s current mental health and addiction strategies, you will know that mental health and addiction are being brought under the same umbrella. Until that happens, the services are still split so you must access mental health care and substance use support in two different channels. This blog will detail how to access both kinds of care. If you or someone you know requires urgent help, please call 911. Drug and alcohol treatment in Alberta If you or a loved on has a substance addiction or any substance use concerns, find your nearest Alberta Health Services funded addiction office. Every major city and most large towns have an addiction office, they are often found in a provincial building. Most have a sobriety requirement. This means you may need to be 12 – 72 hours sober before visiting the office. These offices offer screening for addiction and mental health issues and can refer you on to the appropriate services like detox, outpatient, or inpatient rehabilitation. The outpatient programs are often available here and counselors can facilitate referrals to residential programs. Detox is available in major cities like Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Grande Prairie, Fort MacMurray, Calgary, and Edmonton but many smaller towns do not have detox capabilities. Residential programs are usually 18-20 days long and despite being publicly funded be prepared to pay $40 a day for treatment. Mental health treatment in Alberta Alberta’s services are split, therefore the process for receiving substance use treatment is not the same as mental health care. If you or a loved one has mental health concerns you must first see your primary care provider. This can be a family doctor or walk in clinic. Describe your mental health symptoms to the physician so they can assess you for treatment. This physician can fill out and fax any referral documents to Access Mental Health (AMH). There is one AMH per health zone in Alberta. You can find which zone you are in here. AMH calls you and does an assessment over the phone so they can redirect you to the appropriate resources. They also help you understand and navigate the system and can facilitate referrals. Be aware, it can take a while from seeing your GP to when you start receiving treatment. If you need more help finding public drug and alcohol treatment in Alberta please email or call our specialist. References: AHS Zone Map Access Mental Health Addiction Services: Adult Detoxification Current Alberta Government Drug and Alcohol Treatment Strategies The post Help Finding Public Drug and Alcohol Treatment in Alberta appeared first on Canada Drug...
Help Finding Public Drug and Alcohol Treatment in Alberta
This month, learn how to access public drug and alcohol treatment in Alberta in the next installment of Provincial Snapshot. Each month Canada Drug Rehab is outlining the steps you must take to access public drug and alcohol treatment in each province. If you read the blog on Alberta’s current mental health and addiction strategies, you will know that mental health and addiction are being brought under the same umbrella. Until that happens, the services are still split so you must access mental health care and substance use support in two different channels. This blog will detail how to access both kinds of care. If you or someone you know requires urgent help, please call 911. Drug and alcohol treatment in Alberta If you or a loved on has a substance addiction or any substance use concerns, find your nearest Alberta Health Services funded addiction office. Every major city and most large towns have an addiction office, they are often found in a provincial building. Most have a sobriety requirement. This means you may need to be 12 – 72 hours sober before visiting the office. These offices offer screening for addiction and mental health issues and can refer you on to the appropriate services like detox, outpatient, or inpatient rehabilitation. The outpatient programs are often available here and counselors can facilitate referrals to residential programs. Detox is available in major cities like Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Grande Prairie, Fort MacMurray, Calgary, and Edmonton but many smaller towns do not have detox capabilities. Residential programs are usually 18-20 days long and despite being publicly funded be prepared to pay $40 a day for treatment. Mental health treatment in Alberta Alberta’s services are split, therefore the process for receiving substance use treatment is not the same as mental health care. If you or a loved one has mental health concerns you must first see your primary care provider. This can be a family doctor or walk in clinic. Describe your mental health symptoms to the physician so they can assess you for treatment. This physician can fill out and fax any referral documents to Access Mental Health (AMH). There is one AMH per health zone in Alberta. You can find which zone you are in here. AMH calls you and does an assessment over the phone so they can redirect you to the appropriate resources. They also help you understand and navigate the system and can facilitate referrals. Be aware, it can take a while from seeing your GP to when you start receiving treatment. If you need more help finding public drug and alcohol treatment in Alberta please email or call our specialist. References: AHS Zone Map Access Mental Health Addiction Services: Adult Detoxification Current Alberta Government Drug and Alcohol Treatment Strategies The post Help Finding Public Drug and Alcohol Treatment in Alberta appeared first on Canada Drug...
Marijuana Legalization Talks in the News
Marijuana legalization was in the news this past week with two events in Ottawa moving things along. Thursday, February 15, Senate leaders agreed on a timeline to get federal marijuana legislation passed by the summer. On the same day also in Ottawa, the Senate legal affairs committee was hearing concerns from various criminal justice groups who will be impacted by legalization. Legal affairs committee The president of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police told the committee that he anticipated a surge in impaired driving litigation. Impaired driving cases currently account for 10% of the cases before Canadian courts. Stats Canada states that “drug-impaired driving cases currently take about twice as long on average to litigate in court than alcohol-impairment cases do, and are less likely to receive a guilty verdict.” Theoretically this could change once there is cannabis specific legislation. However, the Canadian Bar Association said changes in this well-established area of the Criminal Code would bring a large amount of uncertainty and therefore more room for defense litigation. The THC testing is still being refined which offers even more defense help. Yet another part of the bill almost invites a constitutional challenge as it makes breath testing for drivers mandatory. Currently police must have reasonable suspicion. Overall the largest concern seems to be the burden on the courts. Marijuana legalization timeline decided upon Despite concern that the Conservatives would try and push back the vote, all groups in the Senate agreed to a June 7, 2018 vote. This planned timeline is believed to give stakeholders, governments, businesses, and law enforcement agencies a better idea of how and when the bill will be addressed. The bill, Bill C-45, is currently in its second reading debate which should be finished end of March. Following this, five Senate committees will study Bill C-45 and deliver a report to the Senate preceding the final debate. Parliament is in session until late June so hopefully any back and forth can be resolved between the time of the vote and end of session. If the bill passes, marijuana would become legal two to three months later. References: Challenges to drug-impaired driving charges likely to clog up Canada’s courts, police warn Cannabis could be legal this summer after all after Senate agrees on timeline to pass bill The post Marijuana Legalization Talks in the News appeared first on Canada Drug...
Marijuana Legalization Talks in the News
Marijuana legalization was in the news this past week with two events in Ottawa moving things along. Thursday, February 15, Senate leaders agreed on a timeline to get federal marijuana legislation passed by the summer. On the same day also in Ottawa, the Senate legal affairs committee was hearing concerns from various criminal justice groups who will be impacted by legalization. Legal affairs committee The president of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police told the committee that he anticipated a surge in impaired driving litigation. Impaired driving cases currently account for 10% of the cases before Canadian courts. Stats Canada states that “drug-impaired driving cases currently take about twice as long on average to litigate in court than alcohol-impairment cases do, and are less likely to receive a guilty verdict.” Theoretically this could change once there is cannabis specific legislation. However, the Canadian Bar Association said changes in this well-established area of the Criminal Code would bring a large amount of uncertainty and therefore more room for defense litigation. The THC testing is still being refined which offers even more defense help. Yet another part of the bill almost invites a constitutional challenge as it makes breath testing for drivers mandatory. Currently police must have reasonable suspicion. Overall the largest concern seems to be the burden on the courts. Marijuana legalization timeline decided upon Despite concern that the Conservatives would try and push back the vote, all groups in the Senate agreed to a June 7, 2018 vote. This planned timeline is believed to give stakeholders, governments, businesses, and law enforcement agencies a better idea of how and when the bill will be addressed. The bill, Bill C-45, is currently in its second reading debate which should be finished end of March. Following this, five Senate committees will study Bill C-45 and deliver a report to the Senate preceding the final debate. Parliament is in session until late June so hopefully any back and forth can be resolved between the time of the vote and end of session. If the bill passes, marijuana would become legal two to three months later. References: Challenges to drug-impaired driving charges likely to clog up Canada’s courts, police warn Cannabis could be legal this summer after all after Senate agrees on timeline to pass bill The post Marijuana Legalization Talks in the News appeared first on Canada Drug...
Current Alberta Government Drug and Alcohol Treatment Strategies
Alberta is addressing mental health and addiction issues by improving drug and alcohol treatment facilities in Red Deer, Lethbridge, and Medicine Hat. The NDP government has increased overall funding and upgraded social detoxes to medically supervised clinics. The government is being guided by a province wide mental health and addiction review released at the beginning of 2016. Opioid Crisis Response Alberta has focused on five main objectives to address the opioid crisis the province is facing. A dedicated opioid emergency response commission is one of these objectives and it will oversee the achievement of the other four. Funding for community organizations to continue to educate Albertans will come through public awareness grants. Increased reporting and monitoring of events like overdose deaths, prescribing patterns, and the levels of use and misuse of opioid will give the commission baselines to work from and later refer to. Harm reduction in the form of safe consumption services, also known as safe injection sites, will greatly help decrease overdose deaths. Community Based Medical Treatment Safe Harbour Society in Red Deer, Alberta opened 20 new medically supported detox beds in November of 2017. The Alberta government allocated $1.6 million dollars to the society to support the existing clinic. It is a 20 bed clinic with five beds being extended stay to allow for overlap between detox and getting into residential treatment. Safe Harbour’s success is paving the way for new treatment facilities in Alberta. New opioid clinics and other treatment programs are planned for Calgary, Cardston, Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, and Sherwood Park. Review Committee Recommendations Valuing Mental Health: Report of the Alberta Mental Health Review Committee was released at the beginning of 2016. It outlined 32 recommendations following a review of the province’s mental health and addiction system. Since then, the Alberta NDP has said they took action on 6 priority recommendations. The Safe Harbour clinic in Red Deer was one of these recommendations. Lethbridge and Medicine Hat are also receiving funding for drug and alcohol treatment facility upgrades. The mental health and substance use budget for 2017 was $80 million, a 64% increase over 2016. “Of this, $15 million of new funding is dedicated specifically to address the recommendations in the Valuing Mental Health Review report.” References: How Alberta hopes to help improve mental health and addictions services Valuing mental health: Next steps Valuing Mental Health: Report of the Alberta Mental Health Review Committee 2015 Alberta’s Opioid Crisis Response Provincial support improves opioid treatment The post Current Alberta Government Drug and Alcohol Treatment Strategies appeared first on Canada Drug...
Current Alberta Government Drug and Alcohol Treatment Strategies
Alberta is addressing mental health and addiction issues by improving drug and alcohol treatment facilities in Red Deer, Lethbridge, and Medicine Hat. The NDP government has increased overall funding and upgraded social detoxes to medically supervised clinics. The government is being guided by a province wide mental health and addiction review released at the beginning of 2016. Opioid Crisis Response Alberta has focused on five main objectives to address the opioid crisis the province is facing. A dedicated opioid emergency response commission is one of these objectives and it will oversee the achievement of the other four. Funding for community organizations to continue to educate Albertans will come through public awareness grants. Increased reporting and monitoring of events like overdose deaths, prescribing patterns, and the levels of use and misuse of opioid will give the commission baselines to work from and later refer to. Harm reduction in the form of safe consumption services, also known as safe injection sites, will greatly help decrease overdose deaths. Community Based Medical Treatment Safe Harbour Society in Red Deer, Alberta opened 20 new medically supported detox beds in November of 2017. The Alberta government allocated $1.6 million dollars to the society to support the existing clinic. It is a 20 bed clinic with five beds being extended stay to allow for overlap between detox and getting into residential treatment. Safe Harbour’s success is paving the way for new treatment facilities in Alberta. New opioid clinics and other treatment programs are planned for Calgary, Cardston, Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, and Sherwood Park. Review Committee Recommendations Valuing Mental Health: Report of the Alberta Mental Health Review Committee was released at the beginning of 2016. It outlined 32 recommendations following a review of the province’s mental health and addiction system. Since then, the Alberta NDP has said they took action on 6 priority recommendations. The Safe Harbour clinic in Red Deer was one of these recommendations. Lethbridge and Medicine Hat are also receiving funding for drug and alcohol treatment facility upgrades. The mental health and substance use budget for 2017 was $80 million, a 64% increase over 2016. “Of this, $15 million of new funding is dedicated specifically to address the recommendations in the Valuing Mental Health Review report.” References: How Alberta hopes to help improve mental health and addictions services Valuing mental health: Next steps Valuing Mental Health: Report of the Alberta Mental Health Review Committee 2015 Alberta’s Opioid Crisis Response Provincial support improves opioid treatment The post Current Alberta Government Drug and Alcohol Treatment Strategies appeared first on Canada Drug...
