The ongoing pandemic has been tough on treatment and recovery providers across Vancouver Island, so the B.C. government is stepping up to help.
A total of ten substance recovery organizations on the island are splitting just under $350,000 in funding.
In Courtenay, the Comox Valley Recovery Centre Society is getting a $45,000 boost, while the Comox Valley Transition Society and Stepping Stones Recovery House are both getting $35,000.
Over in Campbell River, the North Island Supportive Recovery Society (Second Chance) is getting some funding as well.
B.C.’s minister of mental health and addictions, Sheila Malcolmson, says the overlapping overdose and COVID-19 emergencies have created “unparalleled challenges for British Columbians, especially those with substance use disorders.”
While the majority of bed-based treatment and recovery services have kept their doors open through the pandemic, the province says modified operating practices required to meet public health requirements – such as physical distancing – created financial pressures for operators.
“These grants are helping offset the pressures and enabling ongoing access to services, which is a critical part of B.C.’s overdose response,” the province says.
Province-wide, 53 eligible grant applications came in and all were awarded, totalling just over $2 million. In addition to the ten applications on Vancouver Island, 25 were from Fraser Health, eight from Vancouver Coastal Health, seven from Interior Health, and two from Northern Health.
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