Teen drug facility to open in Winnipeg Nov. 1

A new secure drug stabilization facility for teens is set to open in downtown Winnipeg on Nov. 1, the Manitoba government announced Wednesday.

The five-bed temporary facility will stabilize teens dealing with serious drug problems. Counsellors on site will work with the youth and their families to begin treatment.

It will be operated by Marymound, a Winnipeg non-profit agency that works with youth, andrun on an interim basis while the agency builds a permanent 10-bed drug stabilization facility for both adults and youth.

"The truly exciting, the truly interesting part for us is being able to be in at the ground floor, and hopefully playing an important part in preventing the long-term destructive aspects and destructive effects of drug and alcohol use," Marymound director Ian Hughes said.

$9 million for mental health, addictions programs

The facility is part of $9 million in new funding for mental health and addictions programs announcedby Healthy Living Minister Theresa Oswald.

Anotherprogram to receive funding is a centralized intake and referral service for the parents of young people who are dealing with drug problems.

The service will cut down on the bureaucracy that families face when they want to get help for their children, Oswald said. "This centralized intake and referral will be the answer to that and will help parents get the help that they need as quickly as they need it."

A toll-free hotline will also be introduced that can provide information to parents and youth, Oswald said.

On June 13, the provincial government passed the Youth Drug Stabilization (Supports for Parents) Act,which allows parents to get a court order to force their children under 18 years of age to get treatment for drug addictions.

Manitoba has 405 beds for mental health and addictions patients, or 34 beds per 100,000 population the highest number of beds in western Canada, according to the province.