Manitoba bolsters walk-in addictions clinics, adds women's treatment beds

The Manitoba government plans to spend $2.7 million on addictions and mental health treatment one of the major files on which critics say the province has not done enough.

On the eve of an expected blackout on government announcements because of a looming election, provincial officials said they'll spend $1.23 million per year to increase capacity at Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine (RAAM) clinics.

They also will spend $985,000 annually on 16 addictionstreatment beds for women, andhalf a million each year on the Strongest Families Institute, which offers distance coaching for families working through mental health issues.

As a result, 176more women will get access to treatment beds every year and 500 more families will benefitfrom early intervention mental health assistance, provincial officialssaid.

RAAM hours expanding

The province will increase the hours of service at the two walk-in addiction clinicsin Winnipeg and the onein Brandon,Health Minister Cameron Friesen said Monday morning at the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba's River Point Centre.

Those centres, as well as the clinicsin Thompson and Selkirk, will receive more staffing resources for clinical workers, such as physicians, nurses and counsellors, as well asadministrative supports.

"Insome ways, RAAMhas been a victim of its own success, and so we are looking for ways to expand the model,"Friesen said.

More than 1,100 people have sought help through RAAM clinics since August 2018, while around 500 of those people were referred to other programs or facilities for further assistance, officials said.

The Winnipeg clinics at the Crisis Response Centre and AFM River Point will adda weekly three-hour window for follow-up patients, while Brandon's 7th Street Health Access Centre gainsan extra two-hour interval.

The province has been criticized for limitinghours atRAAM clinics, which in some casesweren't open for morethan two hours a day.

Meth rise behind need

"This is complex work, making sure that we have that stacked model of professionalsall coalescing around the patient. I would say what the 10 months have shown in Manitoba is this is an incredibly successful model."

The province also is adding 12 bedsto the 28-day residential treatment program offered by the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba and four beds through the Behavioural Health Foundation's residential program for women and children. Both are in Winnipeg.

The need is great because of a large spikein women using methamphetamine, said Dr. Ginette Poulin, the AFM's medical director.

"The outcomes of that are oftenthe syphilis, congenital syphilis, aggression," Poulin said. "These are things that are quite striking for our province, because we are not seeing that elsewhere in Canada in fact, pretty much elsewhere internationally at this time."

The announced changes will take effectwithin the next three months, provincial officials said Monday.

Friesen also said the illicit drug task force, which hasmembers from the federal, provincial and Winnipeg governments, will provideits recommendations later this month.

A decision needs to be made about how their findings can be publicized oncetheprovincial blackout is imposed, "but, of course, we'll havea strong interest in sharing that information with Manitobans," Friesen said.