Saskatoon facility adding 14 more addictions treatment spaces

A Saskatoon facility is set to open 14 new addictions treatment spaces.

Tim McLeod, Saskatchewan’s minister for mental health and addictions, announced Wednesday the spaces for Possibilities Recovery Center in Saskatoon.

There will be 10 spaces for adults and four for youths, with all of the 14 spaces available to people from across the province.

“Building capacity to treat addictions is a priority for the Government of Saskatchewan,” McLeod said in a media release. “These new spaces at Possibilities Recovery Center are part of our commitment to add 500 total addiction treatment spaces so Saskatchewan residents have more access to the care they need to recover from addictions.”

It’s the second announcement about spaces at the facility in two months; the provincial government announced 18 spaces at Possibilities Recovery Center on Nov. 2.

According to the government, there now are 567 pre-treatment, detoxification, treatment and post-treatment beds across the province that are operated by the Saskatchewan Health Authority and third-party partners.

The new spaces at the Possibilities Recovery Center will provide outpatient treatment in person in Saskatoon or virtually across the province. The virtual option is available only to adults.

“It is great to see this investment in mental health and addiction treatment in Saskatchewan,” Possibilities Recovery Center executive director Tanner Perratt said in the release. “Our waitlist grew quickly when we announced the first 18 spots and these additional spots are an answer to that demand.

“I’m very proud of our team for the work being done to provide and maintain a quality service.”

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.