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By Alessia Proietti

October 2023

City of Red Deer receives $50,000 provincial grant for addictions Recovery Summit

Jul 25, 2023 | 5:04 PM

The City of Red Deer has received a $50,000 grant by the provincial Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction to host their first Recovery Summit.

At their meeting on Monday, council approved the receipt of the grant, amending the budget to spend the one-time funding within the next 12 months.

The City explains that in recent years, the Alberta Government has been shifting to a Recovery Oriented Systems of Care (ROSC) model, implicating how services are to be implemented across several ministries.

In October 2022, Red Deer city council adopted the governmental report “Toward an Alberta Model of Wellness” as a foundational guideline toward a community focus on recovery and advocated to the province to financially support a local conference on the topic of recovery.

READ: Red Deer city council approves resolutions towards addictions recovery approach

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The City says the Red Deer Recovery Summit aims to provide an opportunity to involve community in a one-day forum that will include a combination of training and keynotes from industry professionals in the field, opportunities to explore what a localized ROSC looks like, and to build a unified understanding of why the work benefits the community broadly.

They say the summit would serve various populations, including people with lived experience in homelessness and mental health challenges, service providers, Indigenous Peoples, law enforcement, and community leaders in justice, and education.

Mayor Ken Johnston referenced the Alberta Substance Use Surveillance Data from this April, showing seven opioid deaths in the city, all taking place in private residences.

“It starts with fundamental steps and the message of recovery is a message of hope, it’s a message of restoration, it’s a message of health,” he said.

READ: Alberta opioid deaths hit record highs, Red Deer behind only Lethbridge for death rate

The City confirms they were approved for provincial funding in March 2023 for the summit to serve the central Alberta region and its population of roughly 400,000 people.

Administration states the intended date for the Summit is to occur in proximity to Recovery Day, an annual awareness day in Canada on September 30, dedicated to people who have coped with drug, alcohol, and behavioral addictions, achieving long-term sobriety.

READ: Banishing stigma the goal of Red Deer Recovery Day

However, with Truth and Reconciliation Day now occurring on September 30 each year, administration says they are planning to host the Recovery Summit in the first week of October 2023 to avoid any competition or mixed messaging. Registration is anticipated to begin in August or September with an expected attendance of around 200 people.

They say a budget of $50,000 may not be sufficient to host a high-quality event in a suitable space with guest speakers. Wanting to keep registration fees to a minimum for accessibility of all interested residents, they say other funding avenues will be prioritized such as grants, City investment, and sponsorships.

They state funds will be primarily allocated for the event facility, audio-visual supports, guest speakers, food, registration platform, and promotions, with a portion going towards evaluation.