Alberta Health Services Chief Zone Officer Janice Stewart (far left), Mayor Tara Veer (centre), and representatives from the Government of Alberta cut the ribbon on Thursday to a new protective safe house in Red Deer. The Protection of Children Abusing Drugs Program expands on previous local services that provide detox support for children and youth. (Supplied)

By rdnewsNOW staff

Expanded Detox Program

AHS opens new protective safe house in Red Deer

Jan 23, 2020 | 1:53 PM

Children and youth struggling with drug and alcohol use in central Alberta are now able to receive more help from Alberta Health Services’ (AHS) expanded Protection of Children Abusing Drugs (PChAD) program and newest protective safe house.

On Thursday, AHS officially opened a $9.1-million safe house, which replaces a temporary PChAD facility that has been serving the local community since 2006.

The new eight-bed site is capable of treating about 170 people annually, which officials point-out is 70 per cent more than the previous facility.

(Supplied)

“The Protection of Children Abusing Drugs program gives parents the ability to keep their children safe while providing them a pathway to recovery, and with these additional spaces, more families will benefit from their support,” says Jason Luan, Alberta’s Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addiction, in a release. “We are rapidly increasing access to recovery services for Albertans and remain steadfast in ensuring that all Albertans have access to a recovery-oriented continuum of care.”

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Officials note the PChAD program helps people under the age of 18 whose use of alcohol or drugs will likely cause significant physical or psychological harm to themselves or others.

Parents and guardians must apply for a protection order through the courts under the Protection of Children Abusing Drugs Act, allowing intervention when children and teens refuse voluntary treatment.

The expanded Red Deer program offers assessment, detoxification, addictions counseling, health services and 24-hour care and supervision.

The new space also provides more security and safety for clients and staff, a more home-like environment for client care, and room for family therapy and work with community partners.

“This new space can improve the experience for these vulnerable children and teens going through substance use and related challenges,” says Sherie Allen, Addiction & Mental Health Senior Operating Officer in AHS Central Zone. “We are able to help more at-risk children and youth, and their families, at a time that they really need support.”

According to AHS, there are four such sites across the province: in Red Deer, Grande Prairie, Calgary and Edmonton.

In addition to the PChAD program, AHS provides addiction prevention, treatment and counseling services and programs across the Central Zone and the province.

Help is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week via the Addiction Help Line, 1-866-332-2322.