Sask.’s largest addictions treatment facility to open near Lumsden

The largest addictions treatment facility in Saskatchewan is being planned for the Lumsden area.

The Government of Saskatchewan announced Thursday that the 60-bed inpatient addictions treatment facility will be housed in the former Living Skies Retreat and Conference Centre near Lumsden.

After some minor renovations to the building — which is also the former St. Michael’s Retreat site established by the Franciscan Friars of Western Canada in 1963 — the facility is expected to open this spring.

A release from the provincial government said the facility is to offer people 18 and over “holistic, wrap-around inpatient addictions treatment for up to 16 weeks.” The facility will be operated by EHN Canada, but funded by Saskatchewan’s health-care system.

“The Government of Saskatchewan is focused on getting people the treatment that they need to overcome addictions and live healthy lives in recovery,” Mental Health and Addictions Minister Tim McLeod said in the release.

“Doubling the number of addictions treatment spaces across the province is a key pillar of Saskatchewan’s new Action Plan for Mental Health and Addictions.”

The announcement Thursday came one day after the province revealed 14 new addictions treatment spaces are to open at a facility in Saskatoon.

The Ministry of Health is planning to add 500 new addictions treatment spaces in the province over the next five years. In December, the ministry announced it had issued a request for supplier qualification for around 250 more spaces, looking for service providers that are already qualified to provide treatment services.

EHN specializes in the treatment of all addictions and mental health concerns, such as depression, anxiety, trauma, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

“EHN Canada’s commitment to clinical excellence is at the forefront of this initiative,” Dr. Christina Basedow, EHN’s national operations vice-president, said in the government’s release.

“The facility in Lumsden will be staffed by a team of highly skilled professionals dedicated to providing the latest evidence-based treatments. We aim to offer Saskatchewan residents the highest quality care and support in their pursuit of addiction recovery and concurrent mental health treatment.”

The province has announced 168 new spaces in recent months, with the new 60 spaces at the Lumsden facility being added to the 26 post-treatment spaces at St. Joseph’s Addiction Recovery Centre in Estevan, the 32 intensive outpatient treatment spaces through Possibilities Recovery Centre in Saskatoon, the 14 inpatient addictions treatment spaces at the former Drumming Hill Youth Centre facility in North Battleford, and the 36 virtual spaces being offered through EHN Canada.