Photo Credit Alberta Government LIVE Stream
As part of the Alberta Government’s strategy to help many in the province struggling with addiction and mental health. Recovery communities are being constructed across the province to provide a supportive environment towards recovery.
For many Indigenous Nations, this is a warm welcome and the Tsuut’ina Nation will be hosting one of the communities inside its territory.
Tsuut’ina is the second First Nation to have a recovery community in its territory. In April, the Enoch Cree Nation south of Edmonton, made a similar agreement with the provincial government.
The signing took place at the Tsuut’ina council chambers where Chief Roy Whitney spoke on how the community is rallying to support its members who are fighting addiction
Minister of Indigenous Relations Rick Wilson stated, “Reconciliation is not possible without collaboration. The solutions to these difficult issues will only come through partnerships with Indigenous people. These services must be culturally informed, and that can only happen with the wisdom and guidance of Indigenous communities. That’s why we are so grateful to the Tsuut’ina Nation for working with us on this important project.”
The Provincial Government will be investing $30-million dollars towards the facility in Tsuut’ina that will have 75 beds for people coming to the community and the facility is estimated to have approximately 300 people coming through the doors per year. People who attend the facility can stay for a year for treatment.
Jodi Many Guns of Tsuut’ina and executive director of Calgary Public Safety and Community Response Task Force shared how the facility will be different from others in the province.
A total of 11 recovery communities are planned or underway in Alberta, including in Red Deer, Lethbridge, Gunn, Blood Tribe, Enoch, Tsuut’ina, Calgary and Grande Prairie.
Construction of the Tsuut’ina recovery community is expected to begin in 2024.
Albertans struggling with opioid addiction can contact the Virtual Opioid Dependency Program (VODP) by calling 1-844-383-7688, seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. VODP provides same-day access to addiction medicine specialists. There is no wait list.
Comments