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Province gives Surrey $175K for pilot project to ‘enhance’ response to overdose crisis

‘This work will help rapidly mobilize services to respond to the needs of at-risk opioid users,’ says B.C.’s safety minister
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Emergency crews responding to a drug overdose in Surrey. (Photo: Now-Leader file)

The provincial government has just announced $175,000 for a City of Surrey pilot project to “enhance community response to the overdose crisis.”

“This funding will bring together teams from various health and social-service agencies, and first responders to determine how to proactively address the needs of individuals where there is elevated risk in the community of Surrey,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, in a release. “This work will help rapidly mobilize services to respond to the needs of at-risk opioid users.”

The province says the pilot project’s work will be a “strong complement” to the Surrey Community Action Team (SCAT), which was announced on Feb. 1.

As part of the Overdose Emergency Response Centre, SCAT brings together local partners at the civic level — including health, first responder, public safety and community agencies — to develop and enhance a “co-ordinated system, which will save more lives, and connect more people with treatment and recovery services, as soon as possible.”

See also: Surrey overdose death toll jumps to 174 in 2017

See more: More than 1,400 people in B.C. died of drug overdoses in 2017

See also: ‘Urgent care’ mental health and addiction centre announced for Surrey

According to a release, the City of Surrey will use the grant to “build on its existing efforts, such as the Surrey Mobilization and Resilience Table (SMART), which addresses high-risk individuals, in order to help combat the opioid crisis and improve the capacity of front-line workers to respond.”

“Through the project, the City of Surrey will review how to best use integrated service models, such as SMART, to better identify opioid users and connect them to services that can reduce their risk of an overdose,” a release notes. “The city will develop processes for referring high-risk opioid users to appropriate services, conduct a project evaluation, and draft a report with recommendations on how to apply the successful components of the project in other communities.”

The overdose death toll in Surrey jumped to 174 in 2017, up from 122 in 2016, 76 in 2015, 44 in 2014 and 36 in 2013.

Province-wide, 1,422 people died of overdose last year, which is 43 per cent higher than the 993 deaths in 2016.

In a release, Mayor Linda Hepner said “Surrey is committing significant resources to ensure that data and technology help us be more responsive in battling the ongoing opioid crisis.”

“Working with partners such as Statistics Canada, leveraging real-time analytics like Qlik and building on models, such as Surrey’s SMART initiative, will allow us to ultimately be more effective in assisting the most vulnerable of high-risk opioid users,” she added.

See also: Surrey mayor says 160 ‘emergency’ houses for homeless will change 135A Street

See also: Third site of homeless housing project may be across from Surrey rec centre

Minister of Health and Addictions Judy Darcy said in a release that the provincial funding will “make it easier to develop pathways to treatment, so people with substance-use problems can get the right supports quickly. This rapid response is critical to saving lives, and helping people find a pathway to hope and recovery.”

Surrey-Guildford MLA Garry Begg said the government’s response to the issue “highlights our commitment to invest in collaboration with all stakeholders. A sustained, co-ordinated and concentrated effort will be required to defeat this crisis in our communities.”

See also: Zero deaths, 20,000 visits to Surrey’s safe injection site since opening



amy.reid@surreynowleader.com

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