P.E.I. youth recovery centre opens in April

Renovations are ahead of schedule for P.E.I.'s new youth addiction centre.

The opening of the province's first youth recovery centre will take place in April.

The centre will be in a renovated section of the young offender facility in Summerside.

The province is spending $800,000 on the renovations.

The renovations include 12 inpatient beds, a separate entrance, classrooms and counselling offices.

Health Minister Doug Currie toured the facility and saw the progress.

"I left the centre feeling very encouraged that Island youth and families will soon have a whole new level of addictions service and more hope for recovery," said Currie.

"We are just weeks away from operationalizing our first dedicated youth addictions centre and a suite of open-ended programs that will respond to the specific needs of the youth and the family."

The centrewill offer 18 weeks of around-the-clock care, up from the existing six beds and eight-week day treatment program. Community-based after-care programs will also increase from 20 weeks to up to 24 weeks.

These services will be delivered by 40 full and part-time staff.