Manitoba Government Injects $889,000 Into Rapid Access Addictions Medicine (RAAM)

More than $42 million has been invested to support stronger mental health and addictions services in Manitoba.

The Manitoba government will provide $889,000 over three years for eight additional beds to support timely patient transfers from Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine (RAAM) clinics, Health, Seniors and Active Living Minister Cameron Friesen announced today.

“These beds will support RAAM patients experiencing withdrawal issues, reducing barriers to care, shortening wait times and ensuring quicker access to substance-use disorder treatment.” RAAM clinics provide immediate counselling, prescribe appropriate addiction medication and connect patients to community treatment programs and primary care physicians in their community for ongoing care.

The eight additional community-residential withdrawal management beds will include four beds for men at Winnipeg’s Main Street Project, and four women’s beds at the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba’s (AFM) River Point Centre in Winnipeg.

Since August 2018, more than 4,000 patients have used RAAM services at locations in Winnipeg (Crisis Response Centre and AFM Riverpoint), as well as in Brandon, Selkirk, Thompson and Portage la Prairie. This includes more than 2,100 people who have registered for RAAM services in the past year.

The minister noted the service expansion addresses recommendations from the VIRGO report including increasing capacity for opiate agonist therapy and increasing capacity for community-based treatment services.

Over the past year, more than $42 million has been invested to support stronger mental health and addictions services in Manitoba. These initiatives are in direct response to recommendations from several reports and action plans, including VIRGO, the Illicit Drug Task Force, Tracia’s Trust and the Community Wellness and Public Safety Alliance.

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