Premier Danielle Smith has announced the creation of Recovery Alberta and CoRE. (Photo: Government of Alberta)

By David Opinko

Province details ‘Recovery Alberta’, new mental health and addiction agency

Apr 2, 2024 | 10:43 AM

The Government of Alberta has revealed the first details of its new organization that will be focused on mental health and addictions services.

The organization will be known as Recovery Alberta and will take over the mental health and addiction services that are currently being delivered by Alberta Health Services (AHS).

As well, the province is establishing the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence (CoRE) to support them in building recovery-oriented systems of care. They say CoRE will research best practices for recovery from around the world, analyze data, and make evidence-based recommendations.

Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Dan Williams says Alberta is leading the country with the development of its recovery model.

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“The establishment of these two new organizations will support the delivery of recovery-oriented services to Albertans and will further cement Alberta as a leader in the field. We are proud to establish Recovery Alberta and CoRE as part of the Alberta Recovery Model,” says Williams.

Recovery Alberta is expected to be fully operational this summer with an annual budget of $1.13 billion. It will report to Williams’ ministry.

Kerry Bales, the current Chief Program Officer for Addiction and Mental Health and Correctional Health Services within AHS, will be Recovery Alberta’s Chief Executive Officer.

He says the new organization will build on Alberta’s strong foundation of existing mental health and addiction services.

“By working closely with Alberta Mental Health and Addiction and the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence, Recovery Alberta will continue to set a high standard of care for mental health and addiction recovery across the province, and beyond,” says Bales.

In advance of the agency’s launch, the province will host four telephone town hall engagement sessions with AHS staff and service providers. Those looking to participate can register here.

The dates are as follows:

• April 11 at 6:30 p.m.
• April 16 at 10 a.m.
• April 17 at 6:30 p.m.
• April 22 at 10 a.m.

The creation of Recovery Alberta is part of the government’s wider efforts to restructure the healthcare system.

In November 2023, Premier Danielle Smith announced she would work to create four new organizations that would be responsible for the oversight and delivery of health care services. The others will include acute care, continuing care, and primary care.

She says refocusing health care enables the government to better prioritize the health care needs of Albertans.

“Giving Albertans living with mental health or addiction challenges an opportunity to pursue recovery and live a contributing life is the responsible and compassionate thing to do,” says Smith. “I am so proud of the work we have done to be leaders on recovery, and I am looking forward to seeing both Recovery Alberta and the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence continue this work for years to come.”

“It’s crystal clear from today’s announcement that the government feels it does not need to consult with front-line workers before doing what it already decided to do,” says Sandra Azocar, vice-president of AUPE.

“When you rush big systemic changes without considering the impact on staff and the Albertans who rely on these services, you run the risk of the system collapsing,” she says.

“People will die. Their lives will be on the government’s hands. These are ideologically driven decisions, not evidence-based decisions.”

More details on Recovery Alberta can be found on the organization’s official website.

READ MORE: Alberta revamps health care system, creates separate units