New treatment centre for the north

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Construction is set to begin on a new centre designed to provide drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs for adults and youth in northern British Columbia.

The new Nechako Treatment Centre, to be located on the grounds of the Prince George Hospital, is expected to be up and running next summer.

Peter Cunningham is with Ministry for Children and Families in Prince George. He explained the new facility will combine three programs that are currently operating separately in different locations in Prince George--an adult detox centre, a youth detox, and a women's treatment program.

The adult detox, which as 17 beds in its current location in the old nurse's residence in the hospital, will increase its capacity in the new facility, where that number will grow to 21 beds.

The youth detox centre, which now has six beds in it temporary location in the hospital, will have nine beds in the new facility. And the women's treatment program, which is currently being delivered off-site in a community-based setting, will have 11 beds for adults and six beds for children.

The children's beds allow the women in treatment to keep their children with them while in the program, as is the case with the program in its current location. Allowing women to keep their children with them during treatment program, and is "based on the philosophy that women often have the majority of the responsibility for child care. And if they have alcohol problems as well, it makes it doubly difficult for them to become involved in the treatment process if they can't feel their children are safe and well cared for during that time."

Having all three programs under one roof will improve the services provided to those involved in the program in a couple of different ways, Cunningham said. The current detox facility has been in need of some remodeling, so the new facility addresses that concern, while at the same time providing expanded capacity. Also, the youth detox centre as it currently operates doesn't have 24-hour medical staff. By including the youth detox program under the same roof as the adult detox, the two programs can share medical staff, as well as provide for better use of staff overall, Cunningham explained.

The new location will also make for an easier transition for clients, he added.

"It's really a needed facility in the north, and it's going to be a great service to have," he said.