Construction is starting on the new 75-bed recovery community in Red Deer, which will provide long-term holistic residential treatment for people with addiction and mental health challenges.
Recovery communities, also known as therapeutic communities, are used in more than 65 countries around the world. This is the first of its kind to break ground in Alberta.
“The Red Deer recovery community will be the first of its kind to be built in Alberta,” said Mike Ellis, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “Alberta’s government is taking tangible steps to ensure that Albertans across the province have access to treatment by building recovery communities, funding over 4,000 more annual treatment spaces and eliminating user fees for all publicly funded treatment.”
The Red Deer recovery community is being built on a 10-acre parcel of land near the Chiles Industrial Park, adjacent to Highway 2A, and is expected to create 136 jobs during construction.
“With a location identified earlier this year and a contractor now in place, the Red Deer recovery community is moving steadily forward,” added Prasad Panda, Minister of Infrastructure. “We appreciate the collaboration of multiple levels of government and central Albertans for their support of this life-saving facility.”
Construction is expected to be completed by fall 2022. The recovery community will start admitting clients soon after that. Once operational, the recovery community will create more than 100 jobs.
“This recovery community is more than simply a building – it is a symbol of hope that our community and province desperately needs,” said Red Deer mayor Ken Johnston. “Helping people enter recovery from addiction and lead a more fulfilling, productive life helps us all. Thank you to the provincial government for adding this support to the City of Red Deer.”
Alberta’s Recovery Plan is helping Albertans access life-saving addiction and mental health-related prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery resources. A $140-million investment over four years is supporting the addition of 4,000 new publicly funded addiction treatment spaces; the elimination of daily user fees for publicly funded residential addiction treatment; a new patient matching tool Recovery Access Alberta; and services to reduce harm, such as the Digital Overdose Response system (DORS), the introduction of a nasal naloxone pilot and the expansion of opioid agonist therapy.
“People struggling with addiction and mental health challenges in Red Deer need a place where they can pursue long-term recovery. I’m proud that our government is ensuring that, through a holistic approach, the people of Red Deer have access to treatment and recovery,” said Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Education and MLA for Red Deer-North.
Featured image: Left to right: Minister Panda, Associate Minister Ellis, Minister LaGrange, MLA Stephan, Mayor Johnston. (Government of Alberta)
