Province plots additional 513 addictions treatment spaces in Winnipeg

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This article was published 22/06/2023 (847 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A provincial government promise to add 1,000 addictions treatment spaces in Manitoba has been exceeded, deputy premier Cliff Cullen says.

On Thursday, Cullen thanked treatment providers and shared a message with people experiencing addictions.

“I’d also like to recognize all Manitobans who struggle with substance use and addictions, as well as their family members and friends who support you. In closing, I will say that our government is here to support you in your journey,” he said during a provincial news conference at Addictions Foundation Manitoba’s River Point Centre in Winnipeg.

The Tory cabinet minister announced an additional 513 addictions treatment spaces — a combination of residential treatment beds and day program spots — are expected to open in Winnipeg.

The government promised in its 2022 throne speech to add 1,000 treatment spaces. Cullen said it has now added 1,648 spaces, at a cost of $8.7 million.

Most of those spaces were previously announced. Some are for residential treatment beds and some are for day programs through various agencies in rural and northern parts of the province.

Wait times for addictions treatment vary significantly depending where in Manitoba the individual is located.

Mental Health and Community Wellness Minister Janice Morley-Lecomte said the current wait time to get into detox/withdrawal programs or residential treatment varies between two days to two weeks.

The ministers made the Thursday announcement alongside Dr. Jitender Sareen, provincial specialty lead for mental health and addictions at Shared Health; Scott Oake, founder and president of the Bruce Oake Memorial Foundation; and Shane Sturby-Highfield, who described himself as an addict in recovery and spoke in support of the additional provincial funding.

The 513 Winnipeg spaces announced Thursday will be paid for with $2.9 million in provincial funding.

They include up to 200 spaces at Bruce Oake Recovery Centre and up to 24 at Regenesis Centre for Recovery, and day program spots through the Recovery Education for Addictions and Complex Trauma (Re/ACT), Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, Canadian Mental Health Association, and St. Raphael Wellness Centre.