Sober Living Programs in Vancouver, BC
Luke has been struggling with substance dependence off and on. He is currently sober and living in a Salvation Army shelter in Langley, BC. He no longer wants to be there anymore because he said he’s ready to try to move forward with his life. He contacted us for help getting into both treatment and sober living. Our first suggestion was a program for men in Abbotsford called Kinghaven Treatment Centre, which has three options for treatment: a 70-day primary program, 90+ sober support recovery, and sober/staged living. We also suggested the MRTC but he said his problem originated in Maple ridge and didn’t want to go back to the area. We gave him his local Langley mental health and addictions office so that he could get the correct referrals for treatment. We also gave a long list of other sober support homes that may be willing to take him pre-treatment while he waits for a place in a treatment program. He had mentioned that he had a phone call from Innervisions Recovery Society and was hoping to snag one of their Ministry of Health beds for treatment. Luke seemed grateful over the phone and was happy that he’d found our hotline. He’d spent much of his day looking for local resources with no luck and said we were the first organization willing to spend time explaining all the options available to him. Here is contact information for all the programs we recommended to Luke. If you believe you or your loved one is in a similar situation, perhaps this information will be useful. For additional support, feel free to contact us. Kinghaven Treatment Centre 31250 King Road, Abbotsford Phone: (604) 864-0039 Toll-free: 1(877) 864-0039 Note: for adult men. Intake hours are 8:30 am to 4 pm Monday to Friday. Raven’s Moon Resources 3401 Shuswap Terrace, Abbotsford, BC V2T 4Z4 Phone: (604) 855-8322 E-mail: ravensmoonresources@hotmail.ca Note: 1st, 2nd & 3rd stage supportive transitional housing using an empowerment model. We also have a house for women with children, with children in care or who are pregnant. InnerVisions Recovery Society Miller House, 837 Miller Avenue Coquitlam, BC Phone: (604) 468-2032 Toll-free: 1(877) 939-1420 E-Mail: helpme@innervisionsrecovery.com Website: www.innervisions1.ca Note: This is a fee for service program for men 19+. Program is 60days in length. There are some MOH beds for those who qualify. . A Better Place Transition Housing PO Box 42582, Columbia Square, New Westminster, BC V3M 6L7 Phone: (778) 889-8555 Website: www.abetterplacetransitionhousing.ca E-Mail: service@abetterplacetransitionhousing.ca E-Mail: abetterplace8587@yahoo.com Note: There are 20 beds for men 19+. Clients must attend 4 supportive recovery meetings per week. Clients must be sober prior to admission. Clients must be willing to seek education, employment, volunteering, or vocational training. For the address please call Don Reda – Director. Revolution Recovery Ltd. Surrey, BC Phone: (604) 349-7200 Phone: (604) 220-7486 (admissions) E-Mail: Use form on “contact us” page Website: www.revolutionrecoveryltd.ca Note: To find out the location please call. There are houses for both men and women 19+. Clients can self-refer. Clients must be sober prior to...
Alcohol Treatment near Vancouver, BC
Mitch called us looking for private treatment programs that will help him give up alcohol completely. Here are some options we thought would work best for him: 12 STEP PROGRAMS with a HOLISTIC MODEL Orchard Recovery and Treatment Center Bowen Island, BC (off coast of Vancouver) $14,000+tax for 28-day program. An established, well-respected treatment program. Medical professionals on-site. Programs range up to 90 days. The receptionists are great to talk to and find out basic details. You can make contact by using either of the two telephone numbers below. Phone: (604) 947-0420 Toll-free: 1(866) 233-2299 NON 12 STEP Sunshine Coast Health Center $15,000 for 30 days. A private program for men. Program includes medically-supervised detoxification, masters-level therapists, on-site recreation (including indoor lap pool), psychiatric assessment, refresher courses (aftercare), online support (aftercare), family program, and couples program. Program lengths include 30, 42, 60, and 90 days. Returning alumni have more flexible lengths of stay. SCHC uses an evidence-based, meaning-centered approach. Contact Sara at the toll-free number below for more details. Sunshine Coast Health Center 2174 Fleury Road Powell River, BC V8A 0H8 Phone: (604) 487-9010 Toll-free: 1(866) 487-9010 E-Mail: info@schc.ca HOME TREATMENT ALTERNATIVE RECOVER FOR GOOD Arnold offers mobile home detox and sober companionship. You would either offer him a room in your home (if available) or put him up somewhere. He will see you through your withdrawals, if any. He helps you set up a recovery community in your area and supports you through changing patterns like drinking in the evening everyday. You would be able to continue to go to appointments and live life as normal, except you would have Arnold to help you get through the day without drinking until new patterns have been established. You would not need to go to any programs and have them fit your needs, Arnold would give you 24/7 care in your home with complete one on one support. Arnold also operates Summit-Bridge, a fee-for-service withdrawal management service. They come to your chosen location and offer you 24/7 care and assistance through the initial withdrawal period. They use naturopathic and traditional western medicine doctors and other health care providers. They provide intervention services Canada-wide. CONTACT Arnold Mulessa or “Summit-Bridge Consulting Group Vancouver” by: BC Phone: (604) 725-0121 Toll-free: 1.800.726.4075 Website: www.summit–bridge.com Email:...
Methadone Withdrawal Units in BC
For someone living with chronic pain there is nothing worse than finding out your have now become completely dependent on your opiate-based prescriptions. Your body has become tolerant to the drugs and you find yourself constantly increasing your medication just keep your pain tolerable or your withdrawal symptoms away. Your doctor who is supposed to be monitoring you just keeps writing you the scripts for more, stronger drugs rather than suggesting it’s time to wean you off these medications and send you to holistic or non-narcotic pain management alternatives. This medication mismanagement has become a problem for many people who never thought they would end up having an addiction. Unfortunately, this problem is worse that we thought. After you have decided you no longer want to be on the medications, the average person will ask their general practitioner or prescribing physician that they would like to stop taking these medications. One of two options happen – the patient is sent to a medically supervised withdrawal unit within their local health authority (e.g. VCH, FVA, VIHA) where they will spend an average of 5-14 days going through withdrawal. The other option is to be prescribed the anti-craving drug methadone. Once on methadone, a patient starts a minimum dose, which is increased until the client is stabilized. Eventually, most clients on a methadone maintenance program will want to stop using it. They will find that Methadone is incredibly difficult to stop using. Once on this anti-craving drug there are few programs that will provide you treatment for your addiction or any withdrawal units to help you come off the drugs completely. The withdrawal symptoms from methadone have been described as being worse than opiates themselves. After contacting each of the major detox units in each of the five health authorities we have discovered that most withdrawal units will want you to be on little to no methadone in order to help you through your withdrawal. Medically Supervised Withdrawal Units in the five BC Health Authorities NORTHERN HEALTH AUTHORITY Adult Withdrawal Management Unit 1308 Alward St. Prince George, BC V2M 7B1 Phone: (250) 565-2175 Must be 30mg or less to go to this withdrawal unit VANCOUVER ISLAND HEALTH AUTHORITY Victoria Medical Society Eric Martin Pavillion, 5A-2334 Trent St. Victoria, BC V8R 4Z3 Main Phone: (250) 519-7708 Intake Phone: (250) 213-4441 Must be 25mg or less to go to this withdrawal unit INTERIOR HEALTH AUTHORITY Phoenix Centre 922 3rd Avenue, Kamloops, BC V2C 6W5 Phone: (250) 374-4634 Text: (250) 320-0341 (M-F 9am-3:30pm) Toll-Free: 1(877) 318-1177 Fax: (250) 374-4621 Must be 30mg or less to go to this withdrawal unit VANCOUVER COASTAL HEALTH AUTHORITY Access Central Toll-free: 1(866) 658-1221 Note: for referrals to detox and supportive recovery housing. Access Central is staffed with social workers who can provide on-the-spot counselling and coping strategies. Hours are 9 am to 7:45 pm seven days a week. Messages left on voice mail will be returned the following day. Must not be on Methadone Harbour Light Detox (Cordova Detox) Salvation Army 119 East Cordova St. Vancouver, BC V6A 1K8 Phone: (604) 646-6808 ext. 2 Toll-Free: 1(866) 658-1221 ext. 2 Fax: (604) 646-6840 Vancouver Detox 377 East 2nd Ave. Vancouver, BC V5T 1B9 Phone: (604) 658-1280 (non-admissions calls) Phone: 1(866) 658-1221 (Access Central – Admissions) FRASER VALLEY HEALTH AUTHORITY Creekside Withdrawal Management Centre 13740 94 A Avenue Surrey, BC V3V 1N1 Phone: (604) 587-3755 ext.1 (adults) Phone: (604) 587-3755 ext.2 (youth) Must be at 10mg or less to go to this withdrawal unit For more information on finding treatment resources for yourself or someone you know please call 1-877-746-1963 or email info@canadadrugrehab.ca or...
Treatment for Opiate Addiction and Methadone Maintenance
25-year-old BC resident, Sean, is struggling to find public residential treatment for his addiction to opiates and dependency on methadone. We provided Sean with the resources to go to his local assessment office after he had called the three residential treatment programs most effective for him (see below) since there are no public adult treatment units offered by the Northern Health Authority (NHA). Because of where he lives, Sean will likely get referred to another health authority or province for treatment. Sean doesn’t want to be on methadone anymore either and has been in communication with his prescribing physician who is supportive of Sean’s decision. Individuals using methadone often have a more difficult time finding treatment (Methadone Maintenance Programs don’t align with many centers who are abstinence-based). That said, the Interior Health Authority’s (IHA) closest BC program has a 6-week treatment program that accepts stabilized methadone clients. Post-treatment, Sean can continue working with his doctor to taper slowly of Methadone completely. Sean had already found information about Bridgeway in Kelowna that does 6 weeks for men followed by 6 weeks for women, so it may be up to 12 weeks before he enters treatment. With that in mind, we suggested Sean start in an outpatient centre in Prince George and work with his doctor to begin tapering him off methadone until he can attend the next Bridgeway men’s program. Because Bridgeway is a public service, Sean will need to be assessed before being referred to this program in Kelowna, BC. We gave Sean the following resources to help in his search for treatment that works best for him. ASSESSMENT Adult Community Addiction Services located at the Community Response Unit 201-1705 3rd Avenue, phone (250) 565-2668. Hours: 8:30 to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday (closed 12 noon to 12:30 pm) Note: For adults with addiction issues only. DETOX Adult Withdrawal Management Unit 1308 Alward St. Prince George, BC V2M 7B1 Phone: (250) 565-2175 Fax: (250) 565-2790 21 beds for adults requiring medical detox or withdrawal management services. Clients must self-refer. TREATMENT Bridgeway Intensive Residential Treatment 760 Hwy 33 W. Kelowna, BC V1X 6A9 Phone: (250) 763-0456 ext. 402 Fax: (250) 868-7791 E-Mail: info@thebridgeservices.ca Website: www.thebridgeservices.ca/intensive-residential-treatment For adults over 19 years old. Clients need to be sober and stable prior to admission. There are 20 beds for alternating 6-week gender-specific treatment programs. Methadone clients are accepted. Read Bridgeway’s Admission Form to find out what else is required to attend this facility. http://www.thebridgeservices.ca/admissions-intensive-residential-treatment If Sean is able to attend programs outside of BC… Grande Prairie – Adult Primary Treatment (Ask if they accept methadone clients) Business Industry Clinic 11333-106 Street Grande Prairie, AB T8V 6T7 Phone: (780) 538-6316 Toll-free: 1(800) 419-1149 E-mail: admissions.biclinic@aadac.gov.ab.ca Website: Business & Industry Clinic Northern Addictions Centre 11333-106 Street Grande Prairie, AB T8V 6T7 Phone: (780) 538-6350 E-mail: admissions.nac-treatment@aadac.gov.ab.ca Website: Northern Addictions Centre Both these Grand Prairie programs offer a 20 day drug, alcohol, and gambling program. Both are co-ed and clients must be abstinent for 5 days prior to admittance. These facilities also have detox if needed. ...
My Doctor is Moving. What can I do?
My family doctor in Coquitlam BC is retiring at the end of June. I have a lot of health issues and pain issues and my doctor has had me on something called Seupedol for about 10 years (triplicate) as I cannot take any sort of Aspirin-type products due to stomach and bleeding problems. It’s a real dilemma. I don’t know what to do as I know walk-ins will not give any sort of triplicates. I need to be helped into the right direction. – Carmen, BC Lower Mainland Hi Carmen, I suggest you contact doctor to find out more about the physician he is recommending his patients to. Retiring doctors usually don’t abandon their patients. However, if this is the case then you your best bet will be to contact the BC College of Physicians and Surgeons to find doctors taking new patients in your area. This way you can find a new doctor and have him or her communicate with your old one before he retires. College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia 300–669 Howe Street Vancouver BC V6C 0B4 Canada Telephone 604-733-7758 Toll Free 1-800-461-3008 Fax 604-733-3503 Hours of operation: Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. I hope this information is helpful. All the best,...
