Free residential treatment beds for young men with severe drug additions and addicted youth experiencing homelessness have been added in Surrey and Vancouver, the province announced Thursday.
The government is adding 24 new substance-use treatment beds at the Phoenix Society in Surrey and six at Covenant House in Vancouver.
Eighteen beds at the Phoenix Society opened in May to serve men from throughout the province age 17 to 24 with severe and high-risk substance-use and possibly moderate mental health-care needs. The average stay for treatment is three to six months.
The beds are free for patients and offer stabilization, intensive treatment, and after-care services to support people transitioning back to the community, according to the Mental Health and Addictions Ministry.
The treatment offered at Phoenix Society is higher-intensity substance-use care beyond what is available in clients’ health areas, it said.
The six beds at Covenant House will serve people with substance-use challenges age 16 to 24 living in Vancouver, including youth who are experiencing homelessness, starting at the end of June.
The length of stay in these beds will vary depending on patient needs. Vancouver Coastal Health is accepting referrals from health-care providers for the beds.
An additional bed will be offered to youth from anywhere in the province, including Vancouver Island, at no additional charge by Covenant House with oversight from Vancouver Coastal Health.
In April there were a suspected 206 deaths from a toxic supply of street drugs. There were 814 deaths in the first four months of 2023 and more than 12,000 since April 2016.
“Every young person in British Columbia deserves access to the addiction services that meet their unique needs,” said Jennifer Whiteside, minister of mental health and addictions, in a news release.
