Recovery Alberta closes Edmonton addiction treatment program, drops hundreds from wait list

The province’s new health agency in charge of public mental health, addiction , and correctional health services is closing an Edmonton addiction treatment program, Investigative Journalism Foundation has learned.

Recovery Alberta’s decision to end the program at the Henwood Treatment Centre came as a shock to staff and hundreds of Albertans seeking addiction treatment, and the lack of transparency surrounding the closure is fuelling questions about the province’s plans for the site.

With 62 residential treatment beds, Henwood is the largest provincially-run voluntary addiction treatment centre in the Edmonton region. It’s located adjacent to Alberta Hospital in the city’s far northeast.

Operations at Henwood were temporarily suspended in late June due to flooding.

Sources familiar with the situation have told the IJF that on Aug. 20, staff were informed that Recovery Alberta is permanently closing the treatment program.

The IJF is not identifying these sources because they are currently employed by provincial health authorities and fear they would face retaliation for speaking publicly about this matter.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction said in a statement that the Henwood Treatment Centre in Edmonton “closed for the foreseeable future following significant damage from overland flooding, with all clients transitioned to alternative addiction treatment and recovery services from local providers.”

“We continue to investigate the extent of the damage at the Henwood Treatment Centre and are working closely with Recovery Alberta to determine the future of the facility. The safety and well-being of patients, staff and the community will continue to guide decisions,” the spokesperson said.

Staff told the IJF that while patients and employees had been temporarily relocated due to the flooding and ongoing repairs to the building, they had believed Henwood would return to business as usual after the restoration was completed.

Staff said they were kept in the dark about what was happening with the facility and were blindsided at the meeting with Recovery Alberta.

Henwood employed addiction counsellors, mental health therapists, psychologists, recreational therapists, nurses and other health and support workers, most of whom are members of either the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) or the United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) unions.

UNA told the IJF that at least 12 of their members have been affected by the closure, and that their positions are subject to the section of the union’s collective agreement dealing with layoff and recall.

HSAA confirmed they have 20 members at Henwood, but the union was not able to provide any further information.

HSAA members employed at Henwood told the IJF that some positions are being relocated to the Alberta Hospital in Edmonton, but have not yet been given full details about their new positions, and others have yet to learn where they will be moved.