Whereas BC local governments recognize the urgent need to address the opioid crisis, and support decriminalization as one of the tools to tackle BCs toxic drug health emergency; And whereas there is insufficient province-wide access to resources and services to support and ensure the safety of persons who use illicit drugs: Therefore be it resolved that the provincial government immediately provide financial investments to ensure the provision of geographically accessible, on-demand mental health and addiction treatment, detox and recovery services; overdose prevention sites with inhalation; and access to safe supply and drug testing for all regions of BC.
Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions Government is committed to improving access to culturally safe, effective, seamless, and integrated services across the full spectrum of mental health and substance use care, from prevention and early intervention through aftercare. Budget 2023 added more than 1 billion to support people who struggle with mental health or substance use challenges so they can access the care they need when they need it. Budget 2023 included funding for: - 195 more treatment and recovery beds throughout BC, with no out of pocket fees. - A new model of seamless care, called Road to Recovery, to support people through their entire recovery journey, enhancing wrap-around supports. - Expansion of Indigenous-led treatment, recovery and aftercare. - New recovery communities to support people and their recovery through the long term; and, - Expanding the Red Fish model of care to other areas of the province so people can get specialized care closer to home. The Ministry continues to work across government, with Indigenous partners, communities and families to expand mental health and substance use treatment supports that meet the diverse needs of people across BC. Additional key actions include: - Expanding harm reduction services such as drug checking and naloxone distribution. - Increasing access to supervised inhalation services across the province to provide safe spaces for those who smoke substances and are at risk of drug toxicity events. - Implementing prescribed safer supply, providing pharmaceutical grade alternatives to illicit drugs to people at risk of drug toxicity events and deaths to help separate people from the toxic illicit drug supply, save lives, reduce harms, and enhance connections to health and social supports. - Expanding and optimizing medication assisted treatment by increasing the number of physicians and nurses who can prescribe opioid agonist treatment. - Investment of 164 million over three years through Budget 2022 to provide phase 1 complex care housing services to approximately 500 people throughout BC. - Budget 2023 invests an additional 75.11 million over three years for phase 1 complex care housing services, bringing the three-year total for phase 1 to 238.25 million. - Expanding team-based care by adding new Assertive Community Treatment ACT teams and implementing new substance use integrated teams. - Funding through Budget 2022 to support a rent supplement program that will include mental health and substance use supports.