Richard Froese
South Peace News
Peace River MLA and Mental Health and Addiction Minister Dan Williams says proposed updates to addiction treatment licensing will better serve Albertans.
Mental health and addiction licensing amendments have been introduced to support high-quality care and help Albertans access the right support to meet their needs, says a provincial government news release dated Feb. 25.
“We are committed to developing a recovery-oriented system of care that grows and evolves to meet the needs of every Albertan,” Williams says.
“These amendments reflect our dedication to maintaining a system that is both effective and adaptable.”
The goal of the changes is to better support Albertans to find services, get the right support and for people to know what to expect when accessing each type of service.
Matching individuals with the appropriate level of care promotes better heath outcomes and maximizes the effectiveness and resources.
Service providers would benefit from increased licensing clarity.
The government is building the Alberta Recovery Model, a continuum of mental health and addiction care that includes prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery, Williams says.
The model is based on the fact that recovery is possible and all Albertans deserve the best care to support them to recovery.
If passed, the amendments to the Mental Health Services Protection Act would come into effect in fall 2025.
The government proposes amendments to be more flexible and responsive to Albertans.
The proposed amendments position the act as a framework legislation to provide better oversight for mental health and addiction services and help ensure Albertans receive quality standardized treatment and services.
The act provides a foundation to ensure safe, quality mental health an addiction care and the authority to establish licensing programs for mental health and addiction services.
Enhancing services for bed-based treatment is also proposed – as only licensed bed-based addiction treatment services providers would be able to use those service descriptions.