WHEREAS drug and alcohol addictions are known to contribute to a majority of criminal offences and anti-social behavior, particularly in northern and rural communities; AND WHEREAS the provision of drug and alcohol addiction treatment services and facilities in northern and rural communities is frequently inadequate to address the demand for such services: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM lobby the provincial government to increase the availability of drug and alcohol treatment services and facilities.
Ministry of Health Services Recognizing that many prolific offenders have significant substance use and mental health problems, the province implemented the Prolific Offender Management Project in 2008 in six municipalities including Williams Lake. The offenders in the program typically have 20 or more convictions for property theft, illegal substance use, and assault. The project uses a two-pronged approach: law enforcement and referring them to specific treatment and support services, such as substance use treatment services and supported housing to reduce their offending. The project brings together resources from enforcement agencies police, corrections and Crown, mental health and substance use services regional health authorities, adult forensic psychiatric services Provincial Health Services Authority, housing and support services, Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General and youth justice Ministry of Children and Family Development. The project is being evaluated by Simon Fraser University and is expected to be completed in spring 2011. If the results are positive, government will consider expanding this approach elsewhere. Further, in British Columbia there are currently eight Assertive Community Treatment ACT teams that provide community-based, assertive care to individuals with severe mental illness who may also have a substance use problem. Services are provided from a multi-disciplinary team based model, addressing the range of services an individual requires. In BC, we are beginning to see promising results with individuals who have frequent contact with police services andor have been incarcerated, as the team members are able to work directly with corrections services including judges for appropriate treatment and behaviour management interventions. In addition to the societal and community impacts of drug and alcohol dependence, including criminal activity and social disorder, the profound burden of disease and harm associated with problematic substance use in BC with consequent personal suffering, economic loss, disability and death clearly warrants the most effective and evidence-based approaches possible. A key goal is to prevent substance use problems, through comprehensive mental health promotion, targeted substance use prevention, risk reduction strategies, and to provide early intervention and treatment when problems are identified. The Interior Health Authority provides a full continuum of mental health and substance use services including prevention, early intervention, crisis intervention, withdrawal management detoxification services, support and outreach through hospitals and community based clinics and intensive day and residential treatment and support recovery programs. The service delivery is built on the principle that Every Door is the Right Door. Similar to all health authorities, Interior Health Authority-funded substance use service providers are able to make referrals to provincial substance use treatment services for those individuals who have complex care and behavioral needs beyond the services that are available within their own community or health region. An example of a provincial service for adults who suffer from severe substance use disorders andor mental illness, as well as complex physical health issues is the 100 bed Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addiction which opened in July 2008. Referrals to the Burnaby Centre come from health authority mental health and substance use services and criminal justice services across the province, including Community Court, Probation Services and community-based social organizations. The mental health and addictions sector operating expenditures for 200809 were approximately 1.2 billion. This equates to an increase of more than 42 percent over the 200001 total of 851.4 million.
MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND AGRI-FOOD AND MINISTER FOR THE CANADIAN WHEAT BOARD Please be assured that the Government of Canada recognizes the significance of all pathways for the introduction and spread of invasive plants into Canada. Your local governments concern with the spread of invasive plants - provincially and nationally - is appreciated. Responding to invasive plants is a shared responsibility; the active involvement of all levels of government, non-governmental organizations and stake holders in Canada is essential. In 2004, the Government developed an Invasive Alien Species Strategy for Canada, which stresses advocacy for enhancing coordination and co-operation between different levels of government and stake holders in order to effectively respond to and manage invasive alien species in Canada. Under the Strategy, and as part of its mandate to protect the Canadian plant resource base, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency CFIA is committed to presenting or limiting the entry and spread of invasive plants and plant pests into Canada. To this end, the CFIA has developed and is implementing an invasive plants program - which involves working with federalprovincial partners and Canadian stake holders - to limit the impacts of invasive plants in Canada. This includes addressing the sale of invasive plants and seeds. In 2010, the CFIA conducted a broad stake holder consultation to validate its Invasive Plants Policy, under the Invasive Plants Program. The Policy will guide how invasive plants will be regulated in Canada, as well as the several plant species under consideration for regulation under the authority of the Plant Protection Act and the Seeds Act. A draft version of the Policy can be viewed at: www.inspection.gc.caenglishplaveginvenvconsultiaspole.shtml. Several plant species that potentially present a serious risk to Canadas agriculture, forestry and environmental sectors are undergoing the final stages of a risk analysis to determine if they will be regulated as invasive plants in Canada by the CFIA under the Plant Protection Act. regulatory decisions on these species are expected shortly, and regulation would effectively prevent their import into, and sale of cultivation in, Canada. The CFIA continues to regulate the introduction and spread of weedy species, via the seed pathway, by listing harmful species on the Weed Seeds Order WSO of the Seeds Act. The WSO can be found at the following website: http:laws-lois.justive.gc.caregulationsSOR2D20052D220page-1.htmlh-1. As the invasive Plants Program evolves, additional invasive plant species will be assessed and regulated where appropriate. The CFIA welcomes your input regarding any species that you would like to recommend for review under the process described in the draft Invasive Plants Policy. For more information on the Invasive Plants Program, please contact the CFIA at the following email address: invasive.plantwsinspections.gc.ca. If you wish to provide comments on the placement of species on the WSO, you are encouraged to contact the CFIAs Seed Section by email at: seedsmenceinspection.gc.ca.