(rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

facility complete

Operator for new recovery community revealed at open house

Jan 12, 2023 | 5:17 PM

We now know that Edgewood Health Network will be the operator of a 75-bed recovery community — an Alberta first — in Red Deer’s north end.

Edgewood, whose vice president for western Canada, Dr. Christina Basedow was in Red Deer for an open house at the recently completed facility on Thursday, operates a network of recovery centres across the country.

Basedow toured the facility Thursday alongside the likes of Premier Danielle Smith, Mental Health and Addiction Minister Nicholas Milliken, and Red Deer Mayor Ken Johnston.

She says doors will open and clients will start filling beds in February.

(rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

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“From an individualized treatment perspective, we’re looking at things that are evidence-based like motivational interviewing, dialectical behaviour therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, different trauma-informed practices, and emotionally focused therapies,” explains Basedow about Edgewood’s approach.

“There are medication-assisted therapies, opiate replacement, but also social and recreational models of building recovery capital. Another predictor of long-term success is the connection to community, and that might mean Alcoholics Anonymous, or a collection of programs like those; there’s smart recovery, dharma recovery is very popular; it’s about exposing a resident who comes in to all those modalities and letting them chose which ones work for them.”

Basedow said everything is fresh for Edgewood, thus they haven’t yet reached out to local agencies such as Turning Point and Safe Harbour. Basedow said however that they plan to be strong partners with all those who assist people experiencing addiction.

Meantime, Minister Milliken was asked if the facility will have any effect on Red Deer’s overdose prevention site, saying only that it will hopefully, over time, reduce the number of people who need to use it.

More about the operator is at edgewoodhealthnetwork.com.

A grand opening is scheduled for February.

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