Sheila Malcolmson (left), minister for mental health and addictions, meets with residents, including Adam (second left), representatives from the John Howard Society and CMHA at a tour of a Nanaimo treatment facility on Friday, Dec. 3. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

VITAL SERVICE

‘I have a passion for life again:’ funded Nanaimo beds targeting mental health & addictions treatment

Dec 3, 2021 | 1:18 PM

NANAIMO — Cost efficiencies and a focus on turning out of reach private beds into publicly funded facilities has seen Nanaimo treatment options increase.

Following funding made available in early 2021, 15 beds at the Nanaimo John Howard Society’s Vancouver Island Therapeutic Community on Rosstown Rd. and five spots at nearby Edgewood Treatment Centre helped transition dozens back into society.

Adam, a 50-year-old resident at the therapeutic community, plans to leave the centre in the next month after getting clean and re-learning key skills during his five month stay.

“I have a passion for life again. I was isolating at home for three years, just sit inside like I’m sure many people do during this COVID thing and it just got out of hand. Coming here I learned to live with a group of guys and it’s teaching me how important connection is.”

A former heroin addict, Adam attended Guthrie House before staying clean for just over five years. A “little bit” of drinking turned into a lot, leading to pancreatitis, which nearly killed him.

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He recovered in ICU, eventually discharged from hospital then got his life back on track.

“Without this place, I would be honestly drinking myself to death. I ended up in the hospital twice with pancreatitis, the fast time I thought I was going to die, I was in the ICU for ten days.”

He plans to work in construction upon leaving the Rosstown Rd. facility.

Funding from the province of around $13 million for mental health and addictions treatment facilities was originally designed to create 50 to 70 beds province wide.

Malcolmson announced on Friday, Dec. 3 the funding had stretched to involve 105 beds, including the 20 in Nanaimo.

A key contributor was the ability by various operators to convert private beds, out of reach financially for many, into public spaces.

“You don’t need to be on welfare or independently wealthy in order to have access to treatment,” Malcolmson said. “Many more people throughout the year are able to cycle through the beautiful combination of overcoming trauma, taking accountability for past problems.”

Malcolmson conceded the challenge in making inroads with mental health and addictions treatment is the issue is a “rising tide”. Any new service implemented is quickly overwhelmed with applicants.

However she added societal stigmas against addictions and mental health continue being significant roadblocks.

“When communities push back against the exact kind of treatment and recovery services that would prevent people from being in crisis and living on the streets and the impacts to community of active addition, obviously a very hard life for the person suffering addiction but it’s very hard on the adjacent community as well.”

The point was echoed by Jonny Morris, CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s B.C. division, who added “nimbyism and stigma” was prevalent.

“If communities who oppose this could sit in a room…and hear stories of change and hope, we’d be much further ahead.”

Morris said the industry is much like tourism and hospitality and has been hit hard by staffing shortages, further complicating expanding available services.

“The mental health workforce is a tired and fatigued workforce so recruiting people in is one challenge. You need that pipeline of people to provide the excellent care that the folks here provide.”

Money to operate the combined 20 beds locally was announced on Feb. 10. In October, Malcolmson also announced $132 million in provincial money over three years to open 195 new substance treatment beds in at least 65 facilities in B.C.

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alex@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @alexrawnsley