Manitoba to get 100 new beds for people recovering from addictions, mental health problems

The Manitoba government plans to create 100 residential spaces for people recovering from addictions and mental-health problems.

The province willissue a request for proposalsto add 100 supportive recovery beds to the health-care system, Health Minister Cameron FriesenannouncedMonday.

The minister said the beds will goin rural and urban areas that already offer addictions services.Their role is to help recovering addicts avoid relapse after they've gotten clean.

People will be able to stay in the beds for four to 12 months while they work to get their lives back in order.

The request for proposals is to be posted before the end of this year, but it could be much longer before the beds become available.

"We would hope to have these beds up and running into next year. If not next year, the one after as soon as possible to provide this needed capacity in the system," Friesen said.

The minister said a portion of the beds will be availableto recovering meth addicts but he pointed out alcoholism remains the number one cause of addictions in the province.

"More and more it is an issue for all of us, but remember as well there are other addictions."

He couldn't say how many people are currently waiting for a recovery bed or how long the current wait time is but said recently demand has increased.

"The demand for these services is growing. As we know, these are very crucial times for us to be making good investments."

The province currently funds seven organizations that provide supportive recovery housing for a combined 174 people a year, a news release said.

The announcementfulfills a promise made last summer as part of the Safer Streets, Safer Lives action plan, the province said.Both the VIRGO and Illicit Drug Task Force reports said more recoverybeds are needed.

Successful proposals will be determined by next spring.