Those looking for help with addiction will soon be able to access more care at Burnaby Hospital.
The province says, as part of a new investment in B.C.'s system of substance-use care, $132 million will be provided over the next three years as part of its 2021 budget, which included a half-billion-dollar commitment for mental health and addictions.
Burnaby is set to receive a new addiction medicine consult team at its hospital, thanks to the funding.
"When a person living with addiction is ready to take a step toward recovery, we must ensure services are available when and where they need them," Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Sheila Malcolmson said in a news release on Wednesday (Oct. 13).
"We have been busy patching holes where urgently needed over the past four years. Now, through Budget 2021's historic investment, we are beginning to make true systemic change. B.C.'s $132-million investment in treatment and recovery will result in significant improvements everywhere in the province, making substance-use care more seamless, better integrated and easier to access."
The ministry says the investment will see more than 65 new or enhanced services throughout B.C., add more than 130 full-time-equivalent staff and open roughly 195 new substance-use treatment beds.
Planning over the next three years is ongoing between the province and health authorities.
"We know it takes a continuum of care to support people in reaching their recovery goals," Fraser Health President and CEO Dr. Victoria Lee added in the announcement.
"Investments like this support teams in creating new services and enhancing existing ones to better meet our client's needs."
Fraser Health, which includes Burnaby, will also receive new vocational and occupational therapists for its Adult Day, Evening and Weekend (DEW) program, which will help those in reaching substance-use recovery goals.
