Island Health has taken a step toward addressing one of the recommendations of the Local Working Group on health care this week when it issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to establish a safe withdrawal centre in the Mount Waddington region.
The proposed centre is meant to help residents in Mount Waddington with mental health and substance use issues safely withdraw from alcohol and/or substances in a supportive community residential setting without having to travel to larger centres in the south.
“Withdrawal management support programs help clients with complex care needs make positive changes in their lives,” said Alison Mitchell, Island Health’s Senior Manager for Mount Waddington Health Services.
“The opportunities for change increase enormously when these critical services are available in a respectful, welcoming and structured environment with the support of family and community close by.”
With this RFP, Island Health is seeking opportunities to partner with an organization to provide a five-bed, short-term-stay, community residential withdrawal management service. The RFP calls for a multidisciplinary team to provide integrated care and treatment for clients with multiple mental health, physical health, behavioral and substance-use issues.
A withdrawal management service provides supports to clients who are experiencing substance-use challenges or are in withdrawal from alcohol and/or drug use. It is an alternative to hospital-based detox and to transport to withdrawal management services in a larger centre. Residents are supported by staff 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Services will include the provision of an evidence-based clinical treatment model, an integrated client-centred treatment and care plan and a safe and supportive environment where adult clients who can safely withdraw from substances in a community residential setting can meet their basic physical and social needs. The anticipated length of stay for client is five to ten days.
The RFP is posted on the BCBID website, www.bcbid.ca and closes at 2 p.m. Jan. 23, 2015.