New substance use guidelines and treatment beds

Issue: BCMJ, vol. 59, No. 4, May 2017, Page 214 News

The Ministry of Health has created two new guidelines (one for adults and one for youth) for biopsychosocialspiritual withdrawal management as part of the continuum of care for substance use.

Guidelines
The Ministry of Health has created two new guidelines (one for adults and one for youth) for biopsychosocialspiritual withdrawal management as part of the continuum of care for substance use. The biopsychosocialspiritual model of care is the accepted substance use practice model in British Columbia. The model explores the complex interaction between the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of problematic substance use, and promotes an approach to assessment that seeks to capture the full range of underlying causes of substance use, including genetic predisposition, learned behavior, social factors, and feelings and beliefs.

Recovery plans developed from such assessments seek to address the impacts of substance use on an individual’s physical and mental health, social support circle, and spiritual or moral values.

The new provincial guidelines suggest that withdrawal management is most effective when it is part of a long-term wellness and recovery plan, through which individuals may be linked with ongoing support services that may include a combination of psychosocial treatment interventions, psychosocial supports, residential treatment, and pharmacotherapies. 

Guidelines for adults can be accessed at www.health.gov.bc.ca/library/publications/year/2017/adult-withdrawal-management-services-guidelines-final.pdf.

Guidelines for youth can be accessed at www.health.gov.bc.ca/library/publications/year/2017/youth-withdrawal-management-guidelines-final.pdf.

Treatment beds
Thirty new provincial substance use treatment beds are now open and accepting referrals for adults from around the province. Twenty of the new beds will be provided by Phoenix Drug and Alcohol Recovery and Education Society in Surrey, and 10 will be provided by Cedars Discovery Centre in Cobble Hill on Vancouver Island. The contracted providers are managed by BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority. 

To learn more about the available services visit www.bcmhsus.ca/recent-news-releases/2017/04/04/new-treatment-beds-to-open-for-adults-with-serious-substance-use-challenges.

. New substance use guidelines and treatment beds. BCMJ, Vol. 59, No. 4, May, 2017, Page(s) 214 - News.


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