Let’s learn about an innovation in the Yukon. A Managed Alcohol Program (MAP) is opening its doors in Whitehorse. Advocates say the MAP has the potential to help break some dangerous alcohol consumption patterns and help people with severe alcohol use disorders. The program is the first of its kind in the territory. It pairs with long-term stable housing and support and supervised alcohol intake.
‘From crisis to stability’
Andrea Abrahamson is acting manager for the Mental Wellness and Support Use (MWSU) Services branch of the Community and Primary Care division within Yukon's Department of Health and Social Services. She says MAP’s goal is to bring clients from “crisis to stability.” Clients at the MAP will receive supervised, standard doses of alcohol, which may include beer, wine or spirits. “Across Canada there are examples of this type of program that really have helped to benefit people for whom maybe more traditional models of care, such as treatment or medications or abstinence-based models haven't worked,” Abrahamson says.
Another principle of the MAP is to build trust and relationships between clients and providers of care. “If clients are no longer in a cycle of crisis, maybe they can focus on other aspects of their life such as devoting time to important relationships with friends, family, community and other things which were not possible before,” she says.
Who qualifies to reside at the MAP?
MAP participants will be individuals who are living with treatment-resistant alcohol use disorder, as well as experiencing unstable or shelter-based housing. Clients participating in the MAP will have tried many forms of treatment for substance use. Rachel Tredger, clinical supervisor for the new program, says residents staying at the MAP will have individual bedrooms and share common washrooms. They will be supported to prepare their own meals as well as participate in shared household responsibilities.
Clients can be referred to Mental Wellness and Substance Use Services for possible referral to the MAP. The MAP may be a transitional program for some and a long-term stay for others.
A real opportunity to reduce pressures
Abrahamson says the MAP is a real opportunity for clients’ lives to improve. “I hope it's going to address the need for the clientele we hope to target. And hopefully, also help to reduce pressures on other parts of the system as well,” she says.
Currently, in the Yukon, managed alcohol can be issued through hospitals and in Continuing Care as part of medical care. However, the new MAP is the first of its kind for the Yukon as it will pair managed alcohol with long-term program enrollment and other support. MWSU will be operating this 10-bed, live-in facility with staff on site 24 hours a day. Facilities outdoors include a fire pit and some gardening beds for activities in a fenced-off private yard.
The MAP has been developed collaboratively with input from First Nations governments, health care providers and community partners to ensure culturally appropriate and effective care for Yukoners with severe, treatment-resistant alcohol use disorder. This program is modelled on similar MAPs operating in other Canadian jurisdictions, as these programs have demonstrated reductions in non-beverage alcohol use, public intoxication, emergency room visits, alcohol-related harms and law enforcement interactions.
