Day One Society (D1S) is expanding its detox services at the phoenix Centre location near the Royal Inland Hospital.
In a news release, D1S says they have opened five new youth detox beds.
The beds will be located within the inpatient facility and will serve people 24 and under, “providing them with specialized care tailored to their unique needs.”
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“We are delighted to now be able to provide the support young people deserve in a separate and youth specific wing where we can attend to their specific needs as they go through the first steps of their recovery process,” said Sian Lewis, executive director of D1S.
“These extra five beds mark a significant milestone in our commitment to supporting the health and well-being of our community, helping us not only better care for our youth but also free up more space in our adult wing by addressing our wait lists.”
According to the news release, the beds were ready last summer but a lack of healthcare and nursing staff for the youth-specific area of D1S prevented youth from occupying the beds.
However, D1S says they were still able to care for youth by placing them in the 20-bed adult wing with “enhanced safety protocols and privacy consideration,” the release says.
Since the five new beds opened in mid-February, 11 youth were served over a six-week period.
Although D1S says it has made “significant” progress in recruitment efforts, the need for more licensed practical nurses, registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses remains critical.
“Our medical detox unit requires a certain standard of care, including professional staff such as nurses. We remain hopeful about filling our last three vacant nursing positions and attracting more casual staff,” added Lewis.
To incentivize recruitment, D1S is offering a $20,000 signing bonus to registered nurses, psychiatric nurses, and licensed practical nurses who accept a full-time position for a minimum of two years.
In April 2022, the society opened five youth withdrawal beds at the Phoenix Centre.
