A shuttered two-level blue stucco building in the heart of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside is being turned into a first-of-its-kind drug treatment facility.
The former women’s emergency shelter at 625 Powell St. is expected to open in November this year as Connections, offering one-stop, low-barrier treatment.
The centre is an integral part of the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority’s $59-million DTES Second Generation Strategy, which is currently being rolled out.
Andrew MacFarlane, Vancouver Coastal Health’s director of mental health and substance use, would not confirm this building will become Connections. However, a Postmedia source has confirmed this is the location.
The site is opposite a recently constructed seven-storey low-income housing facility, operated by RainCity Housing, and is one block east of the Living Room — a merged drop-in centre that is also part of the Second Generation Strategy.
“This (facility) is brand new, it’s never been done like this before and we are really excited,” said MacFarlane, who was authorized to discuss the project but not the location.
“We are trying to create a welcoming space, not like a medical clinic, although there will be doctors and nurses there.”
MacFarlane said Connections will operate on a promise that clients get addictions treatment within two hours of walking through the doors. This is very important because addicts often change their minds shortly after deciding to quit.
The facility will also have peer workers and community service workers and be open to any one.
“If we have someone who has been discharged from jail and just arrived and is unconnected they can come and feel supported,” MacFarlane said.
There will also be a pharmacy onsite and referrals can be made to outside services offering detox, sobering, withdrawal management and counselling.
The Second Generation Strategy is supposed to streamline and integrate DTES health services to deal with the changing demographic of the health authority’s estimated 10,000 clients in the DTES.
MacFarlane said life expectancies have improved due in part to a fall in HIV and hep-C rates. However, new health concerns are emerging, such as people living with multiple chronic diseases, acute mental illness and addiction challenges.
So far, there has been a change in operating hours at the authority’s supervised injection site on the 100-block East Hastings and 10 shelter beds have opened at two locations to provide immediate care for hard-to-house patients who have just left acute care at St. Paul’s Hospital.
The authority also recently hired 12 DTES residents with street-level experience who will act as strategy advisors.
In the fall, the health authority will apply to Health Canada for permission to allow nurses at five DTES sites to supply rigs and supervise injections. The health authority will also better integrate services at its three DTES community health centres.
MacFarlane said the health authority will work with UBC and SFU to develop a way to effectively track the success of the program.
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