$2.9M slated for more than 500 addiction treatment spaces in Manitoba

The Manitoba government is spending $2.9 million more to support an additional 513 addictions treatment spaces in Winnipeg, deputy premier Cliff Cullen announced at a news conference Thursday.

"The funding will help provide hope to loved ones and individuals struggling with addiction that recovery is possible," Shane Sturby-Highfield, a person in recovery, said at the conference held at River Point Centre on Magnus Avenue.

The treatment spaces provide services ranging from withdrawal management, bed-based programs, intensive day programsand supportive recovery housing, Cullen said.

Two Ten Recovery, Forward House, Bruce Oake Recovery Centre, Regenesis Centre, Re/ACT Winnipeg Centre, St. Raphael Wellness Centreand the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority in partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association are among the Winnipeg organizations with treatment spaces receiving the funding.

"Our government recognizes the importance of continuing to increase addictions treatment capacity across the province and expanding access to services for those in need," Cullen said.

"This will provide Manitobans the opportunity to recover and build a better life."

The government had previously funded 1,135 treatment spaces in rural and northern Manitoba, bringing the total amount it's spent on such spaces in the province to $8.7 million.

Scott Oake, president of the Bruce Oake Memorial Foundation, said the funding means that staff at the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre can continue to support men seeking treatment "without having to worry about where the next dollar is coming from."

"Ongoing funding is a game-changer in the world of recovery," he said, adding that it "feels like a life-line" for the centre.

Oake said 100 men graduated from the centre's 16-week program in its first year of operation in 2021. Fifty-seven of those men were sober for at least one year following the start of the program.

Demand for addictions treatment services in Manitoba has increased over the last few years, Dr. Jitender Sareen, provincial specialty lead for mental health and addictions at Shared Health, said Thursday.

"It takes great courage to ask for help. Ensuring supports are available when someone reaches out better positions them for success in their recovery journey," he said.

Minister of Mental Health and Community WellnessJanice Morley-Lecomtesaid the funding will ensure that Manitobans have supports when they need them.

The funding is part of the province's five-year strategy "for improving wellness, mental health, substance use and addictions services and programs," the news release stated.