Amanda Lavigne received the Interdisciplinary Clinical Excellence Award (Submitted photo/Interior Health).
Mental Health and Substance Use

Kamloops based mental health and substance use professional recognized with provincial award

May 19, 2022 | 6:48 AM

KAMLOOPS — A regional mental health and substance use professional based in Kamloops was honoured for her contributions to improve the wellbeing of people who use substances.

Amanda Lavigne received the Interdisciplinary Clinical Excellence Award at the BC Centre on Substance Use’s (BCCSU) fourth annual conference in recognition of her work in education and training.

“She has shown tremendous effort to improve knowledge and understanding of substance use and addiction, and seeks every opportunity to share this knowledge widely,” BCCSU states. “She has led a nurse prescribers’ group in Interior Health and is recognized for her role in developing a supportive community of practice. Amanda has been integral to the BCCSU, Ministry of Health, and College of Nurses and has most notably championed the use of nurse prescribing which has resulted in increased access to OAT across the Interior. Amanda is granted this award in thanks for her unwavering support and advocacy of regulatory change.”

Every year, BCCSU says it brings together stakeholders from across the province for its annual conference. The 2022 conference had more than 1,100 registrants, along with multiple regional conference sites with dozens of attendees hosted by drug user groups across BC.