Article content
A drug detox and treatment centre for Indigenous youth will open in Lantzville, north of Nanaimo.
According to a Ministry of Health and Addictions statement, the Orca Lelum Youth Wellness Centre will start taking patients in June.
Article content
“First Nations people in B.C. are almost six times more likely to die from illicit-drug poisoning than other people in the province,” the ministry statement read.
Article content
“Access to culturally appropriate, Indigenous-led, mental-health and addictions treatment is something Indigenous people have been asking for, as a way to combat increased rates of relapse, overdoses and other related harms.”
The centre will have 20 treatment beds for youth aged 12 to 18. Half those beds will be used for short-term detox and stabilization and the other half for 10-week stays.
The short term beds will be available on a drop-in basis.
The centre will be operated by the First Nations Health Authority and have 50 staff, including medical workers, clinical counsellors, cultural workers and intake staff.
“Indigenous youth struggling with mental-health and addiction challenges often face barriers including racism and a lack of appropriate resources when it comes to accessing the care they need,” said Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.
“Offering supports informed by Indigenous knowledge is key to supporting them on this journey, so they can feel safe and connected to their culture while they focus on their healing in the short and long term.”
Share this article in your social network
Source link