Funding for addiction services in Kelowna still lacking

Photo: The Canadian Press

A Naloxone kit, used to reverse overdoses, is shown.

With the pandemic driving up the demand for addiction treatment in Kelowna, little has changed in the past year when it comes to the province's funding of local services. But the primary publicly funded treatment provider in Kelowna is "cautiously optimistic" the province will step up in the new year.

A year ago, Celine Thompson, executive director of the Bridge Youth and Family Services, told Castanet Kelowna is “incredibly under-resourced” when it comes to addiction treatment services that are publicly funded, and therefore free. And in the first 10 months of this year, 45 people in Kelowna died from an illicit drug overdose, putting 2020 on track to be the worst year for overdose deaths ever.

On Thursday, Thompson said Interior Health has provided them funding for an additional five beds for their week-long withdrawal management program over the past six months. But the COVID-19 pandemic has driven up the demand for treatment services across the board, while also making it harder to deliver those services.

“The demand for that service has increased so much during this pandemic, that in spite of the 50 per cent increase in occupancy, we can't meet the demand,” Thomspon said. “The quality of the service changes as well. It's harder now to be in a facility-based space to get your needs met, but even in spite of that the demand has significantly spiked, particularity for withdrawal management.”

The waitlist for the medically assisted withdrawal program is currently at about 60 people, but the wait time depends on the person. For example, a high-risk pregnant woman will still be able to get treatment almost immediately, while a housed, lower risk person may have to wait upwards of 10 days.

But that extra funding for those additional five beds is set to expire in mid-December, leaving even fewer options for those needing help in the new year.

While the shorter-term withdrawal management program has seen the highest spike in demand during the pandemic, the demand for long-term adult treatment beds is also up. Currently, the Bridge offers the only 20 publicly funded long-term treatment beds in Kelowna, but they're hoping for additional funding from the province to double that number for those needing up to a six-week stay.

“We're hoping we can set up a mirrored adult treatment centre from the one that we have, so double our capacity in that way,” Thompson said, adding they would need an additional $1 million per year.

“What that will mean is we can offer concurrent programs from men and women. Currently we do a cycle of men and then a cycle of women so obviously the waitlists for that are significant.”

The Bridge's long-term residential treatment program differs from BC Housing's supportive housing developments that have been popping up in Kelowna for years, in that the Bridge's program focuses on treating a person's addiction, while supportive housing's first goal is to put a roof over a person's head.

In July, the province announced it would be providing $13.5 million in additional funding for recovery beds across B.C., and the Bridge has applied for the funding. But Thompson doesn't expect an answer until the new year.

“We've been sitting here ready and waiting for so long, we're ready to go here,” she said, noting they already have an agreement with a building owner for the expanded space if they can secure the funding. “We've had a plan in place for a long time ... we just need the nod to go forward.”

Additionally, the province announced $36 million in new funding in August to double the province's publicly funded youth treatment beds, something Kelowna been without for years. But since the provincial election was called, Thompson has heard no updates on when organizations can actually apply for that funding.

“I looked at Minister [of Mental Health and Addictions Shiela] Malcomson's mandate letter and it's still in there, so I don't think it's fallen off, I just think it's been regrettably very delayed,” Thompson said.

But oddly, the demand for youth treatment services in Kelowna has fallen this year; the opposite of what the Bridge has seen with their adult services.

“We don't believe that's in any way related to a radical improvement in substance use issues for young people, we believe it's just an artifact of COVID changes, that people are not seeking out support in the same way, and maybe not having the support of adults and the support of others advocating and supporting them to do that,” said John Yarschenko, director of recovery and addiction services at the Bridge.

As a result, there is currently no waitlist for the Bridge's publicly funded youth withdrawal program, which typically lasts for about 15 days, depending on the individual.

Without any movement on the issue from the government, the Bridge continues to fundraise on their own for long-term youth treatment beds in Kelowna.