Jill Diamond, govt director of Vancouver’s Diamond Basis and sister to Steven Diamond, says her brother should be alive at present if he had acquired the care being provided at Vancouver’s St. Paul’s Hospital.
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Printed Jun 12, 2023 • Final up to date 4 hours in the past • 3 minute learn
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Jill Diamond says when her brother Steven was scuffling with substance habit the system meant to help him was messy and crammed with delays, disappointments and ready lists.
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After years throughout which extended intervals of sobriety have been punctuated with the ache of habit, she says her athletic, loving and useful brother was placed on a ready listing to see an habit psychiatrist.
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He died in 2016 from a fentanyl overdose lower than every week earlier than the appointment.
“Some folks say the system is solely damaged. However the reality is, the system we want doesn’t even exist,” she mentioned.
The Diamond household, well-known for his or her philanthropy across the province, is donating $20 million towards a brand new mannequin for addictions remedy primarily based out of Vancouver’s St. Paul’s Hospital.
Known as Highway to Restoration, the 95-bed program goals to streamline the method for somebody working their method by way of withdrawal administration, in-patient recovery-focused care, transitional housing and outpatient remedy.
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“We don’t need folks to be compelled to endure agonizing wait-lists whereas navigating completely different assets at completely different locations at completely different occasions,” Diamond mentioned on the donation announcement Monday. “As an alternative, we purpose to chop weeks or months off ready lists inside a full spectrum of remedy companies multi functional location — seamless, centralized — setting a brand new commonplace throughout Canada.”
Dr. Seonaid Nolan of Windfall Well being Care, a program companion, mentioned consumption and entry to habit companies might be centralized to enhance communication between service suppliers, and referrals might be co-ordinated.
“It’s about growing remedy capability, however extra importantly, a reorganization and growing a complete co-ordinated remedy system for folks in order that they will obtain the precise degree of help that they require when wanted,” she mentioned.
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The province has dedicated $60.9 million over three years towards this system’s working prices.
Fiona Dalton, president of Windfall Well being Care, mentioned the donation from the Diamond Basis was a “catalyst” to getting the province on-board.
“We have been in a position to go to the federal government with this actually elementary new method of working and we have been in a position to say, ‘And to allow this we’ve a dedication from a donor to place all of this cash in,’ ” she mentioned. “And that was actually what enabled us to have that dialog.”
This system will embody 45 beds at St. Paul’s and 50 in close by areas.
The primary beds, centered on stabilization, are anticipated to open this fall, with the remainder in St. Paul’s out there inside the subsequent six-to-nine months, whereas the beds exterior the hospital are anticipated inside a 12 months, Dalton mentioned.
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Steven Diamond was often known as a giving addictions counsellor and therapeutic massage therapist, his sister mentioned.
Jill Diamond mentioned her brother had skilled and private information of the addictions panorama, in addition to “household means” to pay for restoration.
“The truth that even he couldn’t get nicely, regardless of giving his whole life’s effort, reveals habit is a illness that have to be checked out medically with new fashions of care,” she mentioned in a press release. “That’s what at present is about.”
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