UPDATED: Alberta government tables bill to establish Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence

The Alberta government has begun to establish the skeleton on its plans for recovery research. To examine the opioid crisis further, the Alberta government has put forward a bill to establish the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence (CORE) to inform best practices in mental health and addiction services. “CORE will be an essential partner to government in assessing mental health and addiction services that produce strong outcomes for Albertans on the path to recovery,” said Alberta Mental Health and Addictions Minister Dan Williams in a Tuesday press release.“The expanded research that CORE will provide allows for more evidence-based decisions under the Alberta Recovery Model.”The Alberta government said it has been leading Canada in creating a system focused on recovery by building on evidence-based practices from around the world. In five years, Alberta has removed user fees for treatment, increased public treatment capacity by 55% and built two new recovery communities with nine more on the way. If passed, it said the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence Act (COREA) will establish CORE as a Crown corporation to inform best practices in mental health and addictions, conduct research and program evaluation, and support the development of evidence-based policies for them. Budget 2024 provides $5 million to support its establishment. It said Alberta has gained an international reputation as a leader in building a better mental health and addictions system. By establishing CORE, it said it will expand on this leadership by supporting a continued, evidence-based approach to addressing mental health and addictions. Like the Health Quality Council of Alberta (HQCA), CORE will provide oversight to the healthcare system, support the evaluation of mental health and addictions system performance and develop recommendations to improve service delivery. If passed, COREA will establish CORE with the ability to collect data to support the evaluation of health outcomes for those who access mental health and addictions supports.COREA includes amendments to the Financial Administration Act and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act to establish it with similar provisions as the HQCA. Williams followed up by saying CORE is a parallel organization with Alberta Mental Health and Addictions to HQCA. “By making it a Crown corporation, it allows us to have a board that is responsible for the delivery on its mandate, for its evaluation of the system for any possible partnerships we might have in research, and it also allows information to flow at the appropriate, high standard that we have,” he said. “So that means collaborations with AHS (Alberta Health Services), Recovery Alberta, the ministry, and other ministries as well.” To move forward with recovery, he said the right mechanism was a Crown corporation.The Alberta government said on April 2 it will be creating Recovery Alberta and CORE to support the mental health and addictions care system. READ MORE: UPDATED: Alberta government to establish new mental health, addictions agencies“Refocusing healthcare enables us to better prioritize the healthcare and services Albertans need,” said Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. “Giving Albertans living with mental health or addiction challenges an opportunity to pursue recovery and live a contributing life is the responsible and compassionate thing to do.”

UPDATED: Alberta government tables bill to establish Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence

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