PROPOSED SHELTER MAY HELP ADDICTS RECOVER

Workers with the Regina and Area Drug Strategy are hoping to establish a
new facility to help addicts on the way to recovery rather then have them
continually sent back into the community without getting the proper treatment.

Dave Hedlund, executive director for Mental Health and Addictions Services
with the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region and chair of the steering
committee for the strategy, said they are in the first stages of bringing a
Brief Detoxification and Homeless Shelter to Regina. It would help put
addicts on the road to recovery rather than have them spend the night in a
jail cell or an emergency ward and then let back out on the street.

"The ideal would be for us to put a facility like that in place and tie it
in with some other facilities and services that are available in the city,
and then be able to make referrals from police cells or referrals from
emergency when that's the appropriate response," said Hedlund.

The centre would focus on patients 16-years-old and older and would likely
receive funding through several different partners, he added.

Hedlund said they have to timeline on the project but they want it done as
soon as possible.

Dave Nelson, executive director of the Canadian Mental Health Association,
said such a facility is a long time coming for Regina.

"We've been calling nationally and provincially for quite some time, as
have others, for mediation, for proper rehabilitation as opposed to
incarceration or even worse in some cases just being back out on the street
and not getting any help at all," he said.

"Hopefully this is something that would get much more quick assistance for
somebody rather than being in the drunk tank and then back on the street.
This would be some sort of option where they'd be able to get some help
whether of their own volition with some encouragement or probably a court
order as well."

Going through the strategy with the city's executive committee, Hedlund
also revealed that they would like to start looking at a similar centre for
youths.

"It's a glaring need in our community and around the province," Hedlund said.

"The provincial (crystal meth) strategy is suggesting that that's an area
they want to respond to as well so we're hopeful we'll be in on that as a
community when that opportunity comes."