In November 2013, the provincial government created a mental-health action plan to “reduce barriers and service gaps, and support evidence-based solutions for patients with severe substance use addictions and mental illness.”
On Wednesday, Aug. 6, Health Minister Terry Lake announced an additional $3-million of funding specifically for substance abuse education and training to add to the $20-million allotted originally to regional addictions programs and supports. The new $3-million partnership is between the provincial government and the education, care and research program of Dr. Evan Wood (co-director of the Urban Health Research Initiative as the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS at St. Paul’s Hospital and medical director of Addictions Services for Vancouver Coastal Health and Providence Health Care).
This funding will go toward a new B.C. addiction medicine diploma program at the University of British Columbia which will be linked to regional health authorities, as well as a first-of-its-kind Canadian network which integrates medical education, scientific research and clinical care to reduce the health and social harms of untreated addiction.
“There is an abundance of new knowledge available in the area of substance use disorder treatment,” said Lake in the announcement. “With the expertise and leadership of Dr. Wood and his colleagues in expanding the number of skilled addiction medicine providers and developing new ways of helping patients, I am confident that B.C. will remain a leader in addiction treatment education, research and clinical supports.”
Mike Davies
Campbell River Mirror
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