Road to Recovery addiction care expands in BC

A made-in-BC model of addictions care that improves access to services is expanding across the province.

Seamless care from detox to after-care

Road to Recovery establishes a seamless continuum of care for addictions, from detox to treatment and after-care.

It began last fall at St. Paul’s Hospital and the Vancouver region and announced by Prime Minister David Eby in December.

The expansion, announced today at a media event, will include 100 substance-use treatment beds and outpatient services in all health authorities, as well as a single-access line to get connected to addictions care in each health-authority region.

“Every person’s journey to recovery is different and so we need to make it easy for people to access the path that is right for them,” says Jennifer Whiteside, BC’s Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “Road to Recovery brings together addictions services into one seamless model to provide care every step of the way. We’re expanding this model of care across the province so that when people courageously reach out for help, they are met with the right support, no matter where they live.”

Road to Recovery makes it easier for people to get care where and when they need it, by providing a central way to access addictions services through one connected care team, and ensuring same-day assessments and care for those who need them.

Road to Recovery “has changed my life – for the better”

“I had tried for years to get off drugs by myself,” says Philip Schulz, who spent about a week in Road to Recovery at St. Paul’s Hospital last December. “But I could never do it on my own. When I got into Road to Recovery, the compassion, the medical care and the support from the staff were amazing. Now I have my own place, a girlfriend, and I’ve applied to become a peer worker at Road to Recovery. The experience there has changed my life – for the better.”

Those who need treatment may access detox services or longer-term treatment services. They are also available as a bed-based service or outpatient supports. Through every step, clients receive support from someone who can connect them to community after-care resources such as day programs, life-skills classes and peer-recovery groups to help them stay on their path to wellness after treatment.

Just a one-day wait for urgent cases

Since its launch, Road to Recovery has been quickly connecting people with the quality services they need. From October 2023 to June 2024, more than 1,500 people were supported to access detox services across three sites in Greater Vancouver, including Road to Recovery. During that time, the 14 Road to Recovery detox beds at St. Paul’s Hospital served 419 unique clients. The median wait time for patients considered urgent was one day.

Data from the Vancouver pilot will inform the expansion so that everyone can access the same quality care, regardless of where they live in British Columbia.

“Evidence-based, culturally safe addiction care”

“Since creating and implementing the Road to Recovery initiative at St. Paul’s Hospital and in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, we’ve seen a tremendous impact on our community and our ability to provide evidence-based, culturally safe addiction care in a timely manner ,” says Dr. Seonaid Nolan, head of addiction medicine, Providence Health Care.

She adds: “Treatment, harm reduction, and recovery services are now readily available for those who seek them and are integrated seamlessly into the substance use continuum of care in a single setting. The impact of Road to Recovery has been transformative and we’re so very excited to see this model expand to other communities across BC.”

$154-million commitment to expansion over next three years

With a commitment of nearly $154 million over the next three years, expanding Road to Recovery is another significant step towards building a comprehensive system of mental-health and addictions care for British Columbians. The Province has made historical investments to expand addictions services and add more treatment and recovery beds to support people with addictions towards wellness.

Quick Facts:
Since its launch, Access Central in the Vancouver region has received 14,736 calls, with over 90% of those requesting detox services receiving same-day assessment and care.

From September 2023 to June 2024, the 14 Road to Recovery beds at St. Paul’s Hospital have served 436 unique clients, with a median wait time of just one day for those prioritized as urgent.

From April 2023 to March 2024, over 4,600 people have received treatment and support through a publicly-funded substance-use bed across all Health Authorities in BC, an increase of more than 1000 from the previous year.

Learn More:

For more information about the Road to Recovery model, visit:
https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/RecoveryGraphic.pdf

For more information about treatment and recovery services in BC, visit:
https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/Road_to_Recovery.pdf

For more information about mental-health and substance-use supports in BC, visit:
https://helpstartshere.gov.bc.ca/

This story was adapted from this Government of BC news release.