The pilot project bringing addiction services to remote Manitoba communities
A new mobile medical team is set to bring addiction services to remote First Nation communities in Manitoba that may have difficulty accessing addictions resources.
This pilot project, run by Four Arrows Regional Health Authority, is called the Manitoba Mobile Addiction Team to Increase Community Capacity and Access (MMATICCA). The goal of the initiative is to create in-community services and build capacity for health-care providers to manage the treatment of substance-use disorders.
Dr. Erin Knight, project lead, said in an interview on Monday that this is a 15-month pilot project to test this mobile treatment model of care.
“The whole purpose of the project is really to see whether or not it is effective to give this more front-loaded, time-intensive team the opportunity to work with an individual community for several months in a row,” she said.
“And see whether or not that dedicated team can help develop local resources so people can have ongoing access to care at the conclusion of that project.”
Knight said they plan to pilot this project in St. Theresa Point, as well as one other community that they are still identifying.
The partners on this project include the Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine (RAAM) hub, the Manitoba Harm Reduction Network, Ongomiizwin Health Services, and Amdocs.
“Our core team includes an addictions nurse, a peer harm reduction worker, a counselor and an admin support person,” she said, noting they also have some funding for a part-time physician and pharmacist support.
Knight said a program like MMATICCA is needed as residents in rural and remote communities in Manitoba have difficulty accessing some treatment options for substance-use disorders.
She added this is an exciting project as it has the potential to provide service to communities that often don’t have access to existing specialized addiction resources.
“One of them in particular that is really limited in northern and remote Indigenous communities is treatment for opioid abuse disorder,” Knight said.
“Because of the fact that a lot of these communities don’t have pharmacies, they have really limited access to some of the major treatments for that.”
She explained that one goals of MMATICCA is structuring community visits in monthly intervals so they can provide a monthly injectable form of buprenorphine for those who need support for opioid-use disorder.
Knight noted the pilot project received funding from Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions Program.
- With files from CTV’s Maralee Caruso.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their “extremely dangerous” experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Teacher shortages see some Ontario high school students awarded perfect grades on midterm exams
Students at a high school in York Region have been awarded perfect marks on their midterm exams in three subjects – not because of their academic performances however, but because they had no teacher.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.
Her fiance has been in prison for 49 years. She's trying to free him before it’s too late
She was lying in bed on a Thursday morning, thinking about the man she loved, hoping to win his freedom before time ran out.