A Guide to Vancouver’s Drug Rehabilitation Clinics

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In today’s society, escalating economic and social stress has led to increasing numbers of drug addiction. 

As one of Canada’s largest and most populated cities, Vancouver is facing a drug crisis, as are the country’s many other towns. Cocaine, amphetamine, opioids, and alcohol use are all on the rise.

Using data from 2008-2012, the Canadian Alcohol and Drug Use Monitoring Survey (CADMUS)revealed that alcohol and illicit drug use among Canadian 15 years and older is remaining steady or increasing in categories such as crack/cocaine, hallucinogens, cannabis, and alcohol.

Drug abuse is estimated to cost taxpayers $22.8 billion annually, while alcohol abuse costs $3.3 billion.

Sadly, this growing problem can affect any one of us, or our loved ones. However, many organizations are working to end the stigma surrounding drug abuse, and drug rehabilitation centres in Vancouver offer a wide range of solutions. In addition, in 2018, British Columbia’s government pledged $70 million CAD toward the opioids epidemic.

There are many ways to get help if you, or a loved one is struggling with addiction. Vancouver has a variety of drug rehabilitation centres that are available for all types of addictions and all budgets.

Choosing a Drug Rehabilitation Centre

The choice of rehabilitation centres in Vancouver may be overwhelming at first, however, the variety allows clients to choose the right centre for one’s needs. Differences in centres include length of treatment, philosophy, cost, addictions treated, among others.

Types of Drug Rehabilitation Programs

  • Short-Term and Long-Term Treatment – A quick look at different programs reveals short and long-term treatment programs ranging from 30, 45, 60, and 90 days, depending on one’s needs and availability.

Short term treatment programs (30 days or less) are beneficial for those who cannot financially afford to be away from work for a longer period of time.

  • Inpatient/Outpatient Programs –These programs remove addicts from temptation in their environments and allow them to focus solely on recovery without distractions. Although inpatient treatment centres have the best track record for success, outpatient centres have benefits as well. These include flexibility and the ability to not disrupt one’s life.
  • Specific Programs – 12-step programs allow clients to attend meetings and interact with sponsors, former addicts who guide new members along their journey to sobriety. Examples include AA – Alcoholics Anonymous, NA – Narcotics Anonymous, HA – Heroin Anonymous, and CA – Cocaine Anonymous, among others.

Behaviour modification programs such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) work on changing patterns of thought and feelings, which can lead to eventual changes in behaviour. 

Finally, a new type of treatment that has been recently emerging is holistic rehabilitation. These rehabilitation centres focus on the whole, treating the entire person spiritually, mentally, and physically. Treatment examples include yoga, healthy eating, meditation, and physical exercise. Holistic therapy is believed to be most effective when used in conjunction with other therapies, such as CBT or 12-step programs.

Vancouver Rehabilitation Centre Locations

A great deal of rehabilitation centres can be found in British Columbia. These include 32residential (inpatient) drug and alcohol centres, 79 residential outpatient centres, as well as 10 detox centres.

  • Inpatient/Outpatient Programs – The majority of Vancouver’s private and government-subsidized Inpatient and outpatient drug rehabilitation clinics are conveniently located in the city’s east end, with easy access from the Granville Street. Neighbourhoods include South Granville, Chinatown, Coal Harbour, False Creek, and Mount Pleasant.

Further west, a variety of drug rehabilitation centres are available in Surrey and Abbotsford. Further north, treatment is also available in Squamish. 

    • Inpatient Programs–Private and government-subsidized inpatient programs are available throughout the city as well. Some examples of free inpatient programs include Grace Mansion (596 East Hastings St), Addiction Rehab Vancouver- Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centre (840 Howe Street), and Union Gospel Mission Recovery Program (601 East Hastings Street). 
    • Management Services – In addition, for those not yet ready to make the commitment to drug rehabilitation, Vancouver offers a variety of addiction and withdrawal management services. Clients can speak with counsellors about their varied options or receive counselling. These can be found at Vancouver Coastal Health Downtown Addiction Health Services (569 Powell Street), Vancouver Coastal Health – Aboriginal Wellness Program (255 East 12th Avenue), and Native Court worker and Counselling Association of BC (520 Richards Street).
    • Intervention Options – At times, an addict may be unwilling to go to treatment. Luckily, a variety of intervention programs are available in Vancouver and throughout the province as well.

Cost of Drug Rehabilitation in Vancouver

The cost of drug rehabilitation programs varies.

Many rehabilitation services are privately owned, and clients are required to pay for services, however, there are rehabilitation services that are provincially funded by the government.

Private rehabilitation centres usually admit clients fairly quickly and do not have waiting lists. In contrast, the waiting list for British Columbia government-subsidized drug rehabilitations centres is 15-18 days long but can be longer depending on need.

Although, at times addiction may seem hopeless, the amount of drug rehabilitation centres in Vancouver makes getting help a fairly straightforward process. Whether short-term, or long-term, a solution to a variety of addictions can easily be found.