3 recovery centres in Thompson-Okanagan to run employment services pilot program

A new pilot program is launching in BC to provide employment services to people in recovery.

On Friday, the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction announced a $4.9 million grant that will be going to five publicly funded sites in the BC Interior.

The Canadian Mental Health Association will be responsible for distributing the funding.

The pilot program will provide employment services, including pre-employment skills, job search and maintenance support, as well as a range of mental-health and substance-use services to people undergoing treatment at bed-based recovery centres.

People recovering from #MentalHealth and addiction challenges will benefit from a new pilot program that integrates employment services within treatment and recovery centres. https://t.co/fhJHw3phW4 @BCGovNews @s_malcolmson @JMorrisCMHABC pic.twitter.com/O0YZyJLJA7

— CMHA BC (@CMHABC) May 19, 2023

“We all want people going through addiction treatment to have the care and support they need to recover,” said Sheila Malcolmson, minister of social development and poverty reduction.

People will develop skills they need to enter the workforce while helping them “gently transition back into their communities.

Those five sites include Turning Points Collaborative Society in Vernon, Connective in Nanaimo, ASK Wellness Society in Kamloops, Penticton Recovery Resource Society in Penticton and 333 Recovery Homes in Prince Rupert.

A release says the program began this spring and will run for three years.

“The recovery journey does not end once you leave a recovery centre; this is why it’s important to support life and employment skills during treatment, which we know can help strengthen purpose and meaning in a person’s life,” said Jonny Morris, CEO, Canadian Mental Health Association – BC Division.