By Ian Holmes

New substance use beds on their way to Nanaimo, Island Health

Oct 26, 2016 | 5:52 PM

NANAIMO — The mid-island is getting a piece of a B.C. government promise to bolster the number of substance use beds around the province.

Island Health has announced that nine such new beds will soon be established in Nanaimo — four of them being supportive recovery beds designed for an older population, and five open access sobering assessment spaces.

“The substance use needs are high and all services coming are very, very welcomed,” said Island Health director for mental health and substance use on the central and north island Lisa Murphy. “We would always be grateful and welcoming of more services, but this has been a significant strengthening at the same time.”

Murphy says that these new low-barrier transitional beds will likely be in place within two months and quite possibly sooner. She stated that operators and locations for the new beds still need to be solidified. Murphy notes that the incoming services will be located near where people who would access the beds are.

Murphy says these new beds will compliment four crisis stabilization spaces in Nanaimo for aboriginal youth. She says those have been well used since that service started in June of last year.

Making an impact

Nanaimo woman publishes books to open awareness of neurodiverse children

2h ago

iconic voice

Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole, a welcome voice for a half-century, dead at 90

9h ago

first response

New staffing model on Gabriola Island hires local paramedics for enhanced patient care

14h ago

“That’s been great, it really speaks to the strength of the community consultation and what people have been able to identify.”

Island Health’s allocation of 93 substance use beds out of a promised 500 by Premier Christy Clark have now all been spoken for, according to Murphy.