Opening doors to recovery in southern Alberta
Albertans can now access addiction treatment free of charge at the new Lethbridge Recovery Community.
Minister Dan Williams along with Ministers Nixon, Neudorf and Schow join local officials at the official opening of the Lethbridge Recovery Community.
Throughout Alberta and across the country, the deadly disease of addiction is tearing apart families, communities and the lives of individuals. This week, the Lethbridge Recovery Community opened its doors to clients pursuing recovery in southern Alberta. The 50-bed recovery community provides addiction treatment programming where individuals can stay for up to one year.
“This facility represents hope, healing and resiliency for everyone who enters it. Our goal is to support all Albertans in their pursuit of lifelong recovery from the deadly disease of addiction.”
Dan Williams, Minister of Mental Health and Addiction
Recovery communities are integral to Alberta’s Recovery Model. The Lethbridge Recovery Community is the second recovery community to open its doors in Alberta, with Red Deer being the first to open in May. Nine more recovery communities are planned or under construction across the province, firmly establishing Alberta as a leader in Canada in treatment capacity and long-term support for addiction recovery.
With a capital investment of $19 million, the Lethbridge Recovery Community provides long-term addiction treatment for up to 200 people each year. Operation of the facility is fully funded by the Government of Alberta, at $3.4 million each year, making treatment free for any Albertan. The opening of this facility increases treatment capacity in Lethbridge by approximately 65 per cent.
“Opening the Lethbridge Recovery Community, the second of its kind in our province, is a critical milestone in providing life-saving, recovery-oriented care for Albertans experiencing addiction. Alberta Infrastructure is proud to build facilities that are an investment in the health and well-being of Albertans while also generating jobs and strengthening the economy.”
Pete Guthrie, Minister of Infrastructure
“For years, our community has watched the devastating impacts of addiction. This new facility shows the dedication our government has to supporting compassionate recovery in Lethbridge, and I am proud to welcome this service to southern Alberta,” said Nathan Neudorf, MLA for Lethbridge-East.
The Lethbridge Recovery Community is operated by Fresh Start Recovery Centre, a not-for-profit organization that specializes in addiction treatment. Recovery communities provide people with the resources, tools and time to recover from addiction. Clients access a range of services, including opioid agonist treatment medications, counselling, employment, training, financial and housing supports without user fees.
“Recently welcoming our first clients to the Lethbridge Recovery Community brings reality to how important this facility is. Our team is proud to offer support to those seeking recovery and help in rebuilding their lives,” stated Bruce Holstead, executive director, Fresh Start Recovery Centre.
Alberta’s government is making record investments in mental health and addiction treatment to support more Albertans in their pursuit of recovery. This includes adding more than 10,000 new publicly funded addiction treatment spaces, eliminating user fees for live-in addiction treatment, launching the Digital Overdose Response System (DORS) app to help prevent overdose deaths, and expanding access to the Virtual Opioid Dependency Program (VODP), which offers same-day treatment by connecting Albertans with addiction medicine physicians and life-saving medications using telehealth technology.