Free treatment and recovery is now available in Lumby for those battling addiction.
Red Road Recovery Ranch is a 23-bed registered treatment facility on Creighton Valley Road.
“In the darkest part of my addiction, I became beyond desperate, overwhelmed and discouraged in my efforts and attempts to find placement in treatment, I began to feel even more hopeless than I already was, as unfortunately paying for treatment out of pocket was not an option for me,” said a client at Red Road. “My experience thus far at Red Road has been incredibly impactful in the most positive ways.”
Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, was on hand for the official opening of the facility Tuesday, April 16.
“It’s devastating to see so many lives being lost to the toxic-drug crisis,” said Whiteside. “When someone makes the brave decision to reach out for help, they deserve to be met with compassionate care where and when they need it. By adding more treatment beds in the Interior, we’re making sure money and distance are no longer a barrier for people on their recovery journey.”
Red Road Recovery Ranch now offers nine publicly funded treatment beds, on top of the 14 privately funded beds that were already in place.
There is plenty of envidence of Indigenous forms of healing at Red Road, and Whiteside said the province is working with First Nations to bring those forms of healing to people across the province.
Lindsay-Ann Coville is a client of the recovery centre, which includes a main lodge, dining area, spaces residents live in, stables and equine therapy. She’s one of the first to receive funded treatment at Red Road, and said at Tuesday’s official opening that getting into the treatment centre in February saved her life.
“Recovery is not just about staying clean from all mind-altering substances,” said Coville. “I will face mental, emotional, physical and spiritual struggles throughout the remainder of my life. Using drugs and alcohol to cope is not the solution to my problems today. With the tools I’ve been gifted by CMHA’s funding, I can stay clean through life’s challenges I may face in the future.”
Clients at Red Road must be medically detoxed from coming in, and the treatment centre helps people get detoxed utilizing local detox centres. Red Road plans to create its own detox centre in the future, according to executive director and CEO Scott Tremblett.
Tremblett, who has battled addictions in his life, said it’s gratifying to see people taking control of their lives through the treatment program.
“It touches my heart because this saved my life, and I believe the only reason I survived was so I could go on and help other people,” Tremblett said. “It brings me to tears to watch someone turn around and get their life back on track and go on to do amazing things.”
Administered by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), the beds are in addition to 15 new registered supportive recovery space at Turning Points Collaborative Society.
“With an emphasis on integrating lived experiences into care, we strive to ensure that individuals experience person-centred support throughout their journey in treatment and onward into recovery,” said Jonny Morris, CEO of CMHA-BC. “Together, through partnership and collaboration, we aim to expand the reach and breadth of these vital resources, supporting more participants to experience better health and thrive.”
To access these new beds, people can refer themselves or be referred by their health-care professional or other organizations. Services include a live-in environment, counselling, medication management and a strong emphasis on community and connection throughout a client’s recovery.
The B.C. government has committed $73 million for addictions recovery, which will provide 180 beds province-wide.
In January 2024, the province announced a record expansion of treatment and recovery beds throughout B.C., including 61 that are open in the following communities throughout the Interior.
•Kelowna: Karis Support Society, 12 beds (registered supportive recovery) and Options Family Wellness and Addiction Centre, five beds (registered treatment)
•Penticton:Penticton Recovery Resource Society, six beds (registered supportive recovery)
•Lumby/Sorrento: Red Road Recovery, 23 beds (registered treatment)
•Vernon: Turning Points Collaborative Society, 15 beds (registered supportive recovery)
An additional five beds are expected to open this year in Merrit and will be operated by ASK Wellness Society
These will bring the total number of beds in the Interior Health region to 391.
Tremblett said Red Road Recovery currently has a six-month wait list, but the team has “a very big vision” to continue to expand wit hmore treatment beds, detox centres and more transitional housing with wrap-around programs.
“We are going to expand one way or another because we believe in what we’re doing, and we’ve got a lot of talks going on with the Nations all over British Columbia, and with the help of government, if they were to commit more funding it would allow us to accelerate our plan and help a lot more people a lot faster.”
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