Pubdate: Fri, 18 Oct 2002 Source: Kelowna Capital News (CN BC) Copyright: 2002, West Partners Publishing Ltd. Contact: http://www.kelownacapnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1294 Author: John McDonald ASSESSING ADDICT SERVICES IS COMPLEX The Interior Health Authority has extended for six months the contracts of addictions service providers while a review of their contracts is completed. Responsibility for addictions services was transferred to the IHA last April. The review was to have been completed for late September but health authority officials say the project was bigger than first thought. "I would say we were taken by surprise at the complexity of the issue," said Kim Marshal, director of mental health in the Okanagan health service area. Marshall said they are advertising for candidates for the position of an addictions manager who will oversee services throughout the health authority. "We're looking for someone with an addictions background who can review the contracts in light of current best practices and a continuum of care," she said. While nothing is official, Marshall said residents can expect a number of changes to the current system. "What we've heard from people is that not all our services are in the right place and that it still takes quite awhile to get into detox. We're also hearing that non-medical detox is as effective for most people so maybe we need a range of detox services such as home detox rather than just the medical model." Marshall said a review of Crossroads Treatment Centre in Rutland, which runs a medical model detox as well as residential treatment and supportive recovery programs, will be one of the first. "Does Crossroads give us the biggest bang for our buck is the question we need to ask." At $2.2 million, Crossroads receives more than half the $3.4 million budgeted for addictions services in this health service area, which in turn takes up over a third of the $10 million spent throughout the Interior Health Authority. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh