Premier announces location of Prince George involuntary care facility

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“Every person struggling with severe mental illness and addiction is someone’s child, parent, sibling or friend. These new beds will help ensure they get the specialized care they need to recover and rebuild their lives,” said Premier David Eby. “Whether people come to care voluntarily or are unable to ask for help, no one should be left in our streets when they are at their most vulnerable. By helping people onto a path to recovery, we can build safer communities while giving more people the opportunity to heal.”

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“Prince George is committed to our role as the regional service hub for northern B.C., and we are grateful for this investment to ensure people with complex mental-health and addictions challenges can access specialized care close to home,” said Prince George Mayor Simon Yu. “Seventy-two beds for those who need it most will undoubtedly make a difference in our community. We look forward to continuing our relationship with provincial partners to improve the health and safety of people living in the North.”

The creation of new designated mental-health services under the Mental Health Act is a key recommendation from Dr. Daniel Vigo, who was appointed B.C.’s first chief scientific adviser for psychiatry, toxic drugs and concurrent disorders in June 2024.

“After 10 years, the tide is finally turning on the opioid crisis,” Vigo said. “We have created new services, such as secure Spiritwood-approved homes and the mental-health beds at the Surrey Pretrial Services Centre. And today, we confirm more than 130 new beds offering the full continuum of voluntary and involuntary mental-health and substance-use treatment, with similar scale-ups to come until the whole province is covered with the required levels of integrated community and hospital care for mental health and substance use.”

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Email: Adam.Berls@pattisonmedia.com