More money needed for substance addiction recovery programs in the north

Sudbury -

Monarch Recovery Services in Greater Sudbury is sounding the alarm about a shortage of funding for these types of programs in the northeast region.

The organization oversees seven substance addiction recovery programs for men and women in Sudbury. CEO Roxane Zuck said there are waitlists for all of their programs.

“And I think from meetings that we have had with other agencies throughout the north, we are all in the same situation where we are struggling to meet those needs,” Zuck said.

Monarch applied for funding for six beds in September, but has not received an answer. It’s also applying for new funding to enhance services with an application deadline of Dec. 31.

Zuck is concerned the province has not allocated enough money to meet the growing needs in the entire northeast region each year.

“We were told that the northeast has $577,000 to apply for, however there is well over $1 million that is needed just for basic core needs in several of the agencies throughout the North,” she said.

Given the opioid crisis in many northern communities, Zuck said more funding is urgently needed.

“We don’t have the resources to run our programs efficiently and we don’t have the staffing to do it effectively and safely,” she said.

We contacted the Ministry of Health about Zuck’s concerns but did not receive a response by our deadline.

Zuck said she is hopeful funding to improve services in northern Ontario will arrive. She said right now, people who don’t have the financial means of accessing services outside of the area have to wait -- and some are dying on waitlists.