VICTORIA -- Nearly a dozen substance recovery organizations on Vancouver Island are receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding from the B.C. government.
Eleven facilities on Vancouver Island are splitting $345,000 in funding, with grants for each facility ranging from $25,000 to $45,000.
The province says the funding is intended to support local services that are responding to B.C.’s overdose crisis, which has worsened due to the pandemic.
“The overlapping overdose and COVID-19 emergencies have created unparalleled challenges for British Columbians, especially those with substance use disorders,” said Sheila Malcolmson, B.C. Minister of Mental Health and Addictions in a release Thursday.
“We are listening to the recovery community and working to ensure mental health and addictions services continue being there for people throughout the pandemic and after,” she said.
The organizations receiving funding offer in-person services and bed-based treatments, which can be challenging to manage alongside COVID-19.
“While the majority of bed-based treatment and recovery services have remained open during the pandemic, modified operating practices required to meet public health requirements – such as physical distancing – created financial pressures for operators,” said the province in a release Thursday.
“These grants are helping offset the pressures and enabling ongoing access to services, which is a critical part of B.C.’s overdose response.”
Across the province, 53 organizations received provincial funding for addictions treatment and services. Altogether, the province distributed $2 million in grants.
A list of the 11 Vancouver Island facilities receiving funding can be found below:
