CANADIAN SUNRISE –
March 13, 2025 – Opinion: Treatment at home is crucial for those facing barriers, such as stigma, to accessing traditional treatment or simply because there is often not a detox bed available. B.C. is facing an unprecedented mental health and substance use crisis. The human cost has been devastating, with lives lost, families shattered and communities struggling to cope. Between April 2023 and March 2024, more than 4,600 people received treatment and support through publicly funded substance-use beds across all of B.C.’s health authorities, an increase of more than 1,000 from the previous year. Amidst this crisis, programs such as the Home Based Withdrawal Management and Detox Program, offered by B.C. nonprofit Options Community Services (OCS) have emerged.
This vital program provides critical support to those detoxing from substances in the comfort of their own homes, offering a culturally sensitive approach with services in English, Punjabi and Hindi.
