The Progressive Conservative government announced $12 million in funding Tuesday to expand addictions treatment in three health regions outside Winnipeg.

At a news conference in Portage la Prairie, Mental Health and Community Wellness Minister Janice Morley-Lecomte said the funding would help up to 300 more Manitobans struggling with addictions gain access to timely and effective treatment closer to home.

“Too many Manitobans have lost someone they love to addiction,” Morley-Lecomte said. “Our government recognizes that more needs to be done to address these preventable deaths. We firmly believe that everyone can recover from addiction and we are committed to supporting all those who are in pursuit of recovery.”

The province has refused to support supervised consumption sites that prevent drug overdose deaths.

The funding includes nearly $1 million to maximize the capacity of existing community addictions-treatment agencies, $2.64 million to add new rural medical-withdrawal management beds and $8.8 million to secure new publicly funded treatment spaces.

It will result in four new medical-withdrawal management beds in the Prairie Mountain Health region (Brandon), one bed in Southern Health-Santé Sud (Portage la Prairie) with additional mobile withdrawal support available in the community and two beds in the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority (Ashern). The new beds will provide safe, comprehensive care closer to home for individuals who require medical stabilization and support as they withdraw from substances, the minister noted.

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Ten community organizations currently providing addictions treatment services will receive increased operating funding to align with standardized provincial rates, Morley-Lecomte said. The additional funding will allow the organizations to address fiscal pressures, ensure quality services and maximize existing capacities.

Portage Mayor Sharilyn Knox welcomed the expansion of services.

“Too often we hear about long wait times for addiction treatment when we know for the best success we need to meet people where they’re at and when they’re ready,” Knox said at the news conference.

“This announcement today will move our community and our province in the right direction to providing the supports necessary to Manitobans who are struggling with substance abuse but who are ready to make a change.”

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca

Carol Sanders
Legislature reporter

After 20 years of reporting on the growing diversity of people calling Manitoba home, Carol moved to the legislature bureau in early 2020.

   Read full biography