If you’re looking for help in your recovery from substance-use issues, there’s a new place in North Vancouver you can go without a referral from a health professional.
The North Shore Junction recovery community centre, located at 1645 Lonsdale Ave., officially opened its doors during a press event on Thursday.
The new facility is the third of its kind in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, offering low-barrier access to substance-use recovery services in an environment similar to a typical community centre.
The North Shore Junction is operated by Lookout Society. Services offered at the new centre include counselling, relapse prevention, as well as health and wellness activities.
Clients will also receive assistance navigating the healthcare system, and help connecting to resources to aid them recovering substance use in the long term, according to Vancouver Coastal Health.
Instead of requiring a doctor’s referral, as is the case in other recovery centres, clients can self refer to the Junction facility.
On the day of the official opening, there were more than a dozen people attending a “building back coffee and chat,” a drop-in group led by people with lived or living experience, where clients can learn more about the facility, meet the team and spend time with peers.
Other events listed on the North Shore Junction calendar include one-to-one peer support as well as Friday “happier hour,” where clients can enjoy activities like karaoke and games with snacks and non-alcoholic drinks.
The North Shore recovery centre builds on a community of Junctions, which started with the Vancouver location in November 2022, said Jennifer Whiteside, B.C.’s Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.
“Our commitment is to build on this foundation and envision this recovery community work as absolutely related to the road to recovery,” she said. “Services are also available to support an individual’s family and friends, because we know community saves lives.
“People don’t need a referral. They can drop in. They can register for sessions online. There’s no fees, there’s no timelines, no limits to the life that people can build with the support of the Junction,” she said.
Junction's community model is working, with hundreds signing up for recovery programs, minister says
Whiteside said there’s evidence that the Junction’s model is working, with more than 855 people signing up for recovery programs at the Vancouver location in less than two years.
“I’m confident that we’re going to be able to show over the course of the annual reporting that people are being retained to these services and continuing to be successful in their recovery,” she added.
With the BC Conservatives criticizing the NDP’s drug policies ahead of the provincial election in October, many voters are wondering how the government should be working to curb the number of deaths from toxic drugs.
It’s an issue that health professionals across the continent are trying to understand, Whiteside said, noting a slight decrease in the number of drug-related deaths this year.
According to the BC Coroners Service, there were 1,158 deaths by June this year, down from 1,279 over the same period last year. That’s a nine-per-cent drop.
Whiteside, who’s also the NDP MLA for New Westminster, said her government has opened more than 650 bed-based treatment spaces, and 35 Foundry Centres providing health and social services for youth.
“We have never seen this level of investment in mental health and substance use in this province,” she said.
