BC sets aside $867M for new mental health, addictions treatment

BUDGET 2023: BC government sets aside $867 million for new mental health, addictions, and treatment services

Red Fish Healing Centre for Mental Health and Addiction at the former Riverview Hospital lands at 2745 Lougheed Highway, Coquitlam. (Provincial Health Services Authority)

With an escalating mental health, addictions, and homelessness crisis in recent years, there have been growing calls for the Government of BC to invest significantly in programs with services such as treatment and recovery — not just housing without wraparound supports and harm reduction.

In response, the 2023 provincial budget has incorporated significant new funding of $876 million over the next three fiscal years for “mental health, addictions, and treatment services across the spectrum of services and supports for people struggling with substance use disorder.” This includes $199 million in 2023/2024, $297 million in 2024/2025, and $371 million in 2025/2026.

You might also like:

Most of this investment will go directly towards the expansion of treatment and recovery services, with $586 million set aside for such uses, including additional recovery beds, the development of new recovery communities to support long-term recovery of those who have gone through treatment, Indigenous treatment centres, and wraparound youth services.

The 2021-opened Red Fish Healing Centre on the former Riverview Hospital lands in Coquitlam has been widely regarded as a success in providing effective care and treatment for people struggling with mental health and addictions. For this reason, the province will expand Red Fish’s model of care to other regions of the province so that more people can receive this type of care close to where they live.

However, at this time, there are no plans to remove fees associated with receiving treatment and recovery

The provincial government’s new complex care housing model will also receive funding to continue its expansion. Complex care housing essentially adds layers of significant wrap-around support services — including healthcare, mental health, and addictions treatment — to the supportive housing model. Dozens of additional locations, sometimes located within existing supportive housing buildings, are planned.

To achieve this, the budget provides $97 million in operating funding for health services and resources at complex care locations, in addition to $169 million in capital funding to grow the number of supportive housing units with complex care services.

Another $184 million will go directly towards addictions-related services, including “safe prescription alternatives” for harm reduction, connecting people with supports and treatment, and support services for youth and young adults for “prevention and early intervention.”

This funding will be used to create new and expanded integrated response teams, including further supporting the successful Car 87/88 program in Vancouver, which pairs up a police officer with a health worker. Car 87/88 is being expanded by the City of Vancouver under the leadership of Mayor Ken Sim and his ABC Vancouver party. There will also be an expansion of Peer Assisted Care Teams (PACT), including the creation of Indigenous-led PACT teams.

In total, the provincial government has plans to spend $2 billion on mental health and addictions-related programs and initiatives over the next three fiscal years.

You might also like: