Residents in Recovery Society executive director, Tyler Lorenz, shares a moment with Mayor Gerald Aalbers while receiving his Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal in January. Meridian Source File Photo
The Residents in Recovery Society will receive zero dollars from the $275 million in funding for mental health and addiction in Alberta’s 2023 budget.
The community-based addictions treatment centre isn’t expecting any additional funding from Saskatchewan Health Authority either in their provincial budget later this month.
“We actually submitted a funding increase request which was already turned down, but they are going to extend our funding agreement another two years with the same amount,” said Tyler Lorenz, executive director of Residents in Recovery.
As for the funding goose egg from Alberta, Lorenz says he’s disappointed, but not surprised.
“We don’t fit into their model. All of their money so far has been directed towards the major cities in Alberta,” he said.
“The focus of this government is on building therapeutic communities in the large centres.”
The province is investing $155 million over three years to build five recovery communities in Edmonton, Calgary, Lethbridge, Gunn and the Blood Tribe First Nation.
“We do not expect to get any of this funding,” said Lorenz.
He says Residents in Recovery hasn’t received any funding under the Alberta model mental health and addiction program even though it is similar to the services they have been providing in Lloyd since 2018.
Without any Alberta funding agreement, the local downtown facility can’t accept any individuals from Alberta for treatment unless they are from the greater Lloydminster area.
“Alberta Government funding would open up applications to more Alberta residents,” said Lorenz.
“Most of our clients come from Lloydminster, Onion Lake and throughout Saskatchewan.”
Lorenz says those new therapeutic centres in cities will be similar to the long-term treatment programs at the Thorpe Recovery Centre that will require individuals to move away from their community for a year to get treatment.
He says this approach contradicts much of the evidence that was presented at the Recovery Capital Conference in Calgary on Feb. 20.
“However, it seems to be their primary focus,” said Lorenz.
The therapeutic centres will be run by Edgewood Health Network, but Lorenz doesn’t think putting people in a year-long brick-and-mortar treatment program works either.
“I want to be integrated into my community. I don’t want to pack up and go to Edmonton just to get treatment,” said Lorenz, speaking for his local clients.
“They’re building all these big integrated long-term facilities in the city to do that rather than having community-based organizations do it.”
With the lack of funding sources, Residents in Recovery finds itself about $200,000 in debt.
“We’re always behind,” said Lorenz.
He said about 10 per cent of their funding come from the Saskatchewan government and they also do fundraising.
“We have a pay-for-service in-patient program. Most of our funding for that comes from Onion Lake Family Services,” explained Lorenz.
When it comes to funding he thinks half the problem is living in Lloydminster.
“The border is an issue,” he said, noting the Thorpe Recovery Centre is fully funded by the Alberta government.”
Lorenz hopes Thorpe will be able to get a detox again in the budget to serve Lloydminster.
“It costs us a fortune in Lloyd because now we have to transport people to Edmonton or Saskatoon,” he explained.
Residents in Recovery currently has 92 individuals on their individual Sober Living program wait list, and if they don’t check in within two weeks, they are removed from the list.
“I don’t even know how many applications we get,” said Lorenz, with an ever-growing demand for their sober living programs and healing centre.
