Pathways eyes new daytox program
Those working to carve out a new trail for Pathways Addictions Resource Centre got two important boosts Tuesday from Penticton city council.
First, elected officials voted unanimously to write a letter of support to Health Canada to strengthen Pathways’ bid for grant funding to open an outpatient withdrawal management program, more commonly known as “daytox.”
“The program would be based in Penticton, where people could walk in at any time and request that they obtain service immediately,” explained Pathways executive director Daryl Meyers.
“This would mean they wouldn’t have to leave the community. They wouldn’t have to go to Kamloops. They wouldn’t have to go to Kelowna. They wouldn’t have to make phone calls every day to find out if there’s a bed available. This would be for people, of course, who don’t need medical detoxing, which is the majority of people we tend to see anyway.”
Pathways is looking to move in a new direction after Interior Health as of May 31 pulled annual contracts worth $500,000 under which Pathways provided counselling services to community members struggling with mental and addictions.
Interior Health then took those counselling services in-house with mixed results, according to Meyers.
“Since the closing of Pathways… things have gotten pretty crazy in the community in regards to support for people with addictions,” she said.
“The ball has not been picked up the way it was supposed to be picked up and people are struggling really badly with where to go and what to do and where to get help and resources.”
The second boost for Pathways came in the form of a motion that will result in council sending a letter to Interior Health asking it to restore permanent funding to Pathways.
“The annual funding from Interior Health for Pathways was $500,000. With that, Pathways employed nine people, paid rent on a rustic, but functional, building, and operated the service. There was some outside fundraising involved. From pure economic standards, that's a bargain,” said Coun. James Miller, also managing editor of The Herald, who put forward the motion.
“Why has IH shown no love for Pathways? Is it possible that a small group of caring, non-unionized staff can provide better services to the public?”
Miller’s motion, which specified that council’s letter will be copied to Penticton MLA Dan Ashton and Health Minister Adrian Dix, called for Pathways’ funding to be restored for a minimum of two years, but was amended at the request of Coun. Campbell Watt to be open-ended.
“This, frankly, is an issue that’s not going to away,” said Watt.