A similar recovery community opened in Red Deer in January 2023. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By rdnewsNOW Staff

TO SUPPORT 300 PEOPLE PER YEAR

New addictions recovery centre opens in Gunn, AB

Aug 15, 2024 | 11:49 AM

The Government of Alberta has opened a new recovery treatment centre for those suffering from addiction in Gunn, Alta., and the facility officially welcomed its first clients on July 29.

The Lakeview Recovery Community has 75 designated treatment beds on site and is expected to support up to 300 people per year on their journey to recovery.

“The grand opening of Lakeview Recovery Community represents a significant step forward in providing essential recovery services to those in need,” says Lindsey Hague, executive director of the Lakeview Recovery Community. “Our facility is designed to offer a safe, supportive and therapeutic environment where residents receive individualized care to achieve lasting recovery. We are honoured to be part of this pioneering initiative and look forward to making a meaningful impact on the lives of our residents.”

Provincial officials say these facilities are a part of the Alberta Recovery Model which provides a continuum of care to those suffering from addiction including prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery. A main focus of the model is to increase treatment capacity, which officials say has been addressed through the funding of more than 10,000 new treatment spaces since 2019.

“Leaving people to suffer in addiction is not an option. We are going to continue working hard in building a recovery-oriented system of care, one that focuses on the needs of each person and helps them overcome the disease of addiction,” said Minister of Mental Health and Addiction, Dan Williams.

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At each of the recovery communities funded by the provincial government, programs average about three months long, but clients may stay up to one year if it is necessary for their success in recovery. The services are provided at no cost to the client.

Officials say the Lakeview Recovery Community was developed by renovating and expanding existing government-owned infrastructure, formerly known as the McCullough Centre. Government representatives say the facility was closed in February 2021 due to the need for repairs, allowing for a full renovation of each cabin and the construction of a new dining hall. In total, Alberta’s government invested $21 million for the construction of the community.

“There is hope in helping someone pursue recovery, and our government is proud to be focused on that. The goal of recovery communities like this one is that each client leaves drug-free and ready to begin jobs or training with the help of strong connections close to home,” said Premier Danielle Smith. “Recovery communities are making a difference in the lives of many Albertans facing addiction, and affecting countless more as they reunite with those they love on a new path forward in recovery.”

The facility will be operated by ROSC Solutions Group Inc. and will be home to the Recovery Training Institute of Alberta (RTIA). The RTIA is described as a provincial training hub for those employed within a recovery community or other treatment centre in Alberta. Officials say it is expected to provide an environment for hands-on learning with full immersion into the work of addiction treatment.

“The government is now bragging about expanding treatment spaces, but all they have actually done is shut down a public treatment centre, laid off all the workers, and now turned the infrastructure over to a private company to run the centre instead,” said Chris Gallaway, executive director of Friends of Medicare. “What they are doing isn’t about expanding capacity for Albertans in need of support for substance or mental health issues, it’s about accelerating an ideological agenda of privatization through Recovery Alberta, and perpetuating the growth of the for-profit recovery industry.”

“Addictions care is health care, full stop. Albertans need to know that their mental health and addictions services are being delivered as part of our public health care system, not contracted out to the lowest bidder seeking to profit off of Albertans struggling as a result of this drug toxicity crisis,” said Gallaway. “We must ensure that these health care services are being publicly delivered, with the full transparency and accountability that Albertans and their families deserve.”

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