As part of the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions (MMHA) commitment to improving mental health and addictions care, $13 million in grant funding was awarded to support bed-based substance use treatment and recovery services across BC. The funding is being administered through the CMHA in consultation with the MMHA, the Ministry of Health and health authorities. The grant was open to applications from not-for-profit and private service providers across BC providing bed-based treatment and recovery services, including access to medication-assisted treatment (OAT) and who operate in operating in accordance with legislation and be registered or licensed under the Community Care and Assisted Living Act. All applicants were part of an adjudication process that included health authorities, service providers and people with lived and living experience. A total of 14 organizations were awarded the grant in April 2021.


Bed-based treatment and recovery services are intended to provide safe, structured living environments where people can focus on their recovery journey. The intended outcome of the grant is to address service gaps and improve service access by increasing the number of accessible, publicly funded treatment and recovery beds available to adult clients and to support individuals in stabilizing and building skills to achieve their recovery goals.


For more information about the funding: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021MMHA0004-000226


For a list of funded organizations: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/MMHA_BG_FundedOrgs.pdf

As part of the evaluation, which includes data collection with all 14 funded organizations, the evaluation team invited funded organizations to participate in additional data collection to explore and contextualize how the grant program is impacting clients and partners in their community. The evaluation team had space for 5 organizations; selections were made in collaboration with an evaluation working group and based on representing the diversity of the funded organizations (e.g. in terms of their location, population(s) served, referral sources).


The additional data collection included meetings with staff of the funded organizations, interviews with partner organizations, those who work with the funded organization and who refer clients to their CMHA funded beds, and focus groups and / or interviews with clients who stayed in a CMHA funded bed.


All participants were informed that participation was voluntary and that any information shared would be kept anonymous and only used for the purpose of creating a story about the value of the CMHA grant and improve the CMHA grant and the services / programs of the funded organization moving forward. Clients were compensated for their time and experiences shared.


For more information about the evaluation please contact the evaluation team lead at lisa@reichertandassociates.ca