Maria Canton
Northern News Services

NNSL (July 02/99) - Northern Addiction Services (NAS) closed the doors to its downtown detox centre at midnight Wednesday, coinciding with the termination of their GNWT contribution agreement.

A March review conducted by the Department of Health and Social Services resulted in the early closure of the Dettah rehabilitation program and the final stoppage of funding on June 30.

The detox centre was the last program operated by NAS.

"NAS was involved in the process and we mutually agreed that they would wind down their services," said Cathy Praamsma, assistant deputy minister for the Department of Health and Social Services.

The detox centre included an eight-bed facility that offered relief to those wanting to get clean and sober. They could stay between five and 10 days and were often referred to the Dettah rehabilitation facility.

In the meantime, the Salvation Army has been providing the service to the people who would normally seek help from the centre.

"We've been treating people out of our present emergency shelter until we have a changeover," says Karen Hoeft, director of community services at the Salvation Army.

And although Hoeft said official papers to provide funding to the Salvation Army have yet to be signed with the Department of Health and Social Services, they will be contributing to their program.

"They will be giving us a contribution agreement for what we will do with withdrawal management program services," she said.

A complaint and the apparent under-utilization of the rehabilitation program at the Dettah facility provoked an NAS review by the Health and Social Services Board and non-governmental agencies.

NAS was also involved in the review process.

"These factors provoked the opportunity to look at reprogramming options," says Praamsma.

"Through the review, we found the actual number of people utilizing the program wasn't generating enough business to maintain the operation."

NAS was a 28-bed facility that offered a 35-day in-patient treatment program.

Despite the conclusion that the facility was under-utilized, NAS records show an average of 20 beds in use each month over the past year.

NAS also had a six-bed youth addictions treatment program that was closed in December 1998 after a different GNWT review determined an expansion of services was necessary.

"We have a children and youth committee that is continuing to look at the re-profiling of how we might support expanded services," Praamsma said.

Currently there are two youth treatment centres and one adult rehabilitation centre to serve all of the NWT.

NAS has been looking into possible restructuring options and may soon be entering into an agreement with the Correctional Services of Canada, a federal government agency.