The government of B.C. says it has opened 10 involuntary treatment beds at Surrey Pretrial Services Centre for those struggling with addictions or mental health.
The beds were part of a commitment the government made in September 2024, just days before a provincial election was announced.
“When someone’s severe mental-health and addictions care needs are not met, it often leads to a revolving door of crime and jail,” said Premier David Eby.
He said the treatment beds would “break this cycle.”
Minister of Health Josie Osborne said the beds would provide “specialized” care for those with mental health or addictions challenges. Osborne said those in provincial custody with “complex care needs” will benefit.
Conservative MLA and shadow minister for public safety Elenore Sturko said she has been asking the premier for several years to put in place involuntary secure care for those with mental health, brain injury, and addictions issues who are violent.
The B.C. government said more involuntary care beds will be open in the spring at Alouette Homes in Maple Ridge.
It also said that it continues to work on plans for more than 400 mental health care beds at new and expanded hospitals in B.C., which can provide involuntary care under the act.
The new treatment services were one of the recommendations by Dr. Daniel Vigo, who was appointed in June 2024 as the province’s first chief scientific adviser for psychiatry, toxic drugs, and concurrent disorders.
Vigo said the involuntary care beds will “prevent the harms” that results from “untreated agitation and psychosis.”
“By integrating with community services when correctional supervision ends, this will both improve mental-health and substance-use outcomes and increase community safety,” he said.
The province’s announcement is a new direction to tackle addictions and mental health. It moves away from B.C.’s previous pilot program that decriminalized some illegal drugs, such as heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine.
B.C. began the pilot project following approval from Health Canada in January 2023. It was to be a three-year program. However, in 2024, Eby’s government asked Health Canada to reverse the exemption the province had been given for the decriminalization program.
He said that the province still supported caring for those with addiction, but that changes were needed to the program to prevent public drug use.
The decriminalization program resulted in complaints about public drug use in spaces such as parks, hospitals, and public transportation.
