Pathways Addictions Resource Centre is back open.
Steve King, Pathways counsellor and supervisor made the announcement on YouTube on Friday, Aug. 20.
“We are delighted to inform you that Pathways is back,” said King.
“We were thrown a curve ball when our local health authority pulled our funding. No one wanted to see our services lost and after hearing from our community, the team at Pathways has reformed and is offering a broad range of counselling for individuals, couples, families and groups of all ages.”
The offices are open again and those looking for help are encouraged to come by or call, he said.
This announcement comes after Pathways executive director Daryl Meyers was in front of Penticton city council last week.
Meyers told council that their phones have been ringing off the hook from people in crisis since they closed their doors in June.
“People are really struggling. The ball hasn’t been picked up like it was supposed to [by Interior Health],” Meyers told council.
Interior Health’s CEO Susan Brown and executive director of clinical operations Carl Meadows led the decision to stop funding Pathways and bring addictions services in-house.
IH’s decision to pull Pathways’ funding led to rallies every Sunday to support the addiction treatment centre that has been in Penticton for over 20 years.
“We are inundated with calls from people needing help who can’t find it anywhere,” Meyers told council last Tuesday.
At the Aug. 17 meeting, city council adopted coun. James Miller’s motion to reinstate funding to the addictions centre that has operated in Penticton for over 20 years.
To the applause of a full house of supporters, Penticton city council threw their support behind getting Interior Health to reinstate funding immediately to Pathways Addictions Resource Centre.
READ MORE: Penticton council wants addictions centre’s funding restored immediately
To find out more go to pathwaysaddictions.ca.
Pathways is also applying to Health Canada to offer day-tox outpatient treatment.
READ MORE: Pathways wants to open a day-tox centre
To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.
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