A new expansion of recovery services is planned for North Cowichan to help families impacted by addiction in the region.
Together We Can (TWC) will have tentative support available, starting Oct. 1, and director of planning and development Susan Hogarth says the expansion has been a long time coming, and is so far being well received by members of the community.
“Expanding into North Cowichan has been a two-year journey of planning, collaboration, and listening to community needs,” she says. “The initiative, developed in collaboration with the Municipality of North Cowichan and CleanupV9L, will help the community by providing focused bed-based recovery services.”
The initiative has sparked a lot of interest in the Cowichan Valley, and along with local partners (like CleanupV9L) they’re able to identify what steps to take to help identify what challenges communities need to overcome to battle addictions.
Spokesperson for CleanupV9L Travis Berthiaume says partnerships are essential to developing a localized plan, not only for bed allocation, but also for funding to keep programs like this alive.
“Through our local CleanupV9L network, we were able to help identify the right location and provide the necessary seed funding to make this program a reality,” he says. “We look forward to continuing our shared commitment to strengthen the health and resilience of our community.”
North Cowichan mayor Rob Douglas says he stands by supporting any program that helps families battle addictions and offers vital services to those in need.
“The Cowichan Valley is in urgent need of additional treatment and recovery beds to support individuals battling addictions,” he says. “We’re proud to work with Together We Can as they establish a new facility in our community.
“As a municipality, we remain committed to advocating for sustained funding from senior levels of government and Island Health.”
MLA for the Cowichan Valley Debra Toporowski made her comments on the partnership by saying the work and collaboration put into making this centre a reality goes a long way to illustrating the government’s commitment to care.
“I commend Together We Can for expanding their services to North Cowichan,” she says. “People living with substance abuse challenges in the region can access care closer to home, and we’re fortunate to have TWC in our community doing this.”
TWC is a leading recovery-based provider across the country and operates over 200 recovery beds and 250 sober living spaces designed to empower individuals in their recovery.
