by Glenn Taylor
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jan20/97) - A petition opposing the closure of Inuvik's only alcohol and drug treatment centre is circulating across the western Northwest Territories.

Delta House is expected to close April 1 as part of budget cuts to the Department of Health and Social Services. Deputy minister Dave Ramsden delivered the news to board and staff in Inuvik last week.

Delta House executive director Sandra Malcolm said the centre started the petition on advice from former clients and elders. "My phone has been ringing right off the wall," said Malcolm. "There's a lot of people hurting, feeling abandoned and betrayed" by the decision.

Delta House will be cut off from funding because the western NWT is currently operating too many treatment centres for the demand, according to Ramsden.

Hay River, Yellowknife and Inuvik centres all operate half-full year-round, which is not cost effective. Ramsden said the goal of the department is to have one treatment centre in the East and one in the West by the time of division.

That means another centre will likely be closed in Hay River or Yellowknife before 1999.

Ramsden said Delta House was selected because its costs are comparatively higher than Hay River or Yellowknife. Its success rate among clients is also lower than the other centres, said Ramsden.

Malcolm, however, said she is unaware of any statistical data that compares Inuvik's success rate with other centres.

Andy Sibbald, addiction consultant for the department, said live-in treatment centres such as Delta House have about the same success rate with addiction as do programs offered outside a 24-hour care setting with beds.

Monies spent on facilities might be better utilized in prevention programs, said Sibbald.

Delta House has an annual budget of $640,000, offers a 28-day live-in treatment program and has 12 beds for clients. Thirteen people are employed at Delta House.

When the doors close at Delta House, funding will be made available to patients in the Inuvik Region to travel to other treatment centres for help.

"This is a decision that was not made easily or lightly," said Minister of Health and Social Services, Kelvin Ng in a press release. "It was made after a serious and lengthy consideration of a number of factors -- ranging from the need for strategic change in the delivery of addiction services, to increased financial pressure on this government."

The department is undergoing "strategic reform," according to the press release. "This move will not decrease access to necessary treatment services to Beaufort Delta residents, or any other people in the Northwest Territories."