POWELL RIVER, B.C.- The city of Powell River is one of 18 communities across B.C. selected to receive support in the fight against the provincial overdose crisis.
The government has established a program that will see communities hit the hardest by the overdose crisis get support from on-the-ground community action teams (CAT), as well as dedicated funding from the province.
“This bold, new approach is vital as families in every corner of the province continue to lose their loved ones to overdoses,” said Judy Darcy, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, in a release.
“Each community action team will play a crucial role in targeting resources where they are needed most on the ground in their communities. This is critical to saving lives and connecting people to treatment and recovery.”
According to the release, CAT will “intervene quickly to save lives and deliver proactive and comprehensive support to people at risk of an overdose.”
The 18 communities will receive up to $100,000 in one-time funding from the OERC Community Action Team Grants.
CAT will focus on four areas of action to help save lives and help at-risk individuals get the support they need:
- Expanding community-based harm-reduction services.
- Increasing the availability of naloxone.
- Addressing the unsafe drug supply through expanded drug-checking services and increasing connections to addiction-treatment medications.
- Proactively supporting people at risk of overdose by intervening early to provide services like treatment and housing.
Funding comes as a part of the provincial government’s three-year, $322 million investment to address and combat the overdose crisis in British Columbia.
For more details on the government’s response to the crisis, and how funding is being distributed, visit the province’s website.
