FIGHTING CRYSTAL METH

Funding: Government helps out.

The B.C. government has anted up another $8 million in funding for
crystal meth treatment options and youth addictions services.
Province wide, $6 million is dedicated to youth addictions and $2
million to crystal meth.

Health authorities will use the money for youth addictions to
increase their capacity to provide services and to develop new
services. All six health authorities will receive funding with
$1,262,421 coming to the Interior Health Authority.

For all other services, the Shuswap is aligned with the
Thompson-Cariboo-Shuswap health service delivery area. But mental
health and addiction services are provided through the Okanagan
health service area.

In Interior Health, $362,421 will support four chemical dependency
nurse/clinicians, one for each of the health service delivery areas.
They will provide assessment and treatment services for crystal meth
users, and training and support for team members working with
amphetamine-addicted clients.

Individual and group programs will be offered with a focus on early
recovery skills, relapse prevention and family education.

Ira Roness, senior manager alcohol and drug services for the
Okanagan, says he first needs to look at the effects of crystal meth
in each of the communities in the Okanagan, from Osoyoos to Revelstoke.

"There are some areas that are experiencing it at different levels
but don't want to lose focus on other communities," he says. "We also
need to keep a focus on alcohol and other drugs."

The $899,000 in new funding will be used by IH to create 16 new
short-term residential beds, two of which have been earmarked for the
North Okanagan Health Service Delivery Area, which includes the Shuswap.

It is not yet known whether those beds will be in Vernon or Salmon Arm.

"We put out requests for proposals in the North Okanagan for
providing the two beds," says Roness. "We asked social service
agencies to come back with ideas about how they'd like to see them
delivered and in what communities."

One rural outreach worker will be based in Salmon Arm but will serve
all rural locations, Roness says.

As well, some funding will be directed to school prevention programs
through public health.

Some of the positions already been filled and others are being posted.