Potential home to a Kamloops sobering centre (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

SOBERING CENTRE

Kamloops council sends sobering centre business plan to the province

Dec 5, 2023 | 6:00 PM

KAMLOOPS — A business case for a sobering and assessment centre in Kamloops was presented to city council Tuesday afternoon (Dec. 5) in a culmination of years of hard work from multiple city councils.

In a unanimous vote, council approved the motion of presenting the business case to Mental Health and Addictions Minister Jennifer Whiteside and Interior Health President and CEO Susan Brown. In addition to sending off the business case, the recommendation requests a response from the ministry.

A sobering centre is a facility that hosts those with short-term mental health and substance use concerns, offering a medical approach to their sobriety rather than one based on criminal justice, where offenders are placed in the drunk tank.

“The street situation is different. I think there is a more community-wide understanding that we don’t put inebriated and intoxicated people in jail cells. That’s just not helping them at all. It’s just like, ‘Dry up, sober up, we are kicking you out again.’ That’s not helping them,” said Councillor Dale Bass.

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The centre would run 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week, house 10 beds and employ security to ensure clients and staff are safe. City staff recommends the Day One Society’s Phoenix Centre in downtown Kamloops to serve as the potential sobering centre, pending an official request for proposal.

“We know these folks are vulnerable and we are realizing what they need is health care. They need expert eyes on them to ensure that that period that they are intoxicated, that they have a safe roof over their heads and have medical eyes on them,” said Day One Society Executive Director Sian Lewis.

The proposed annual operating budget is just over $2.6 million. By operating a sobering centre instead of a drunk tank, supports can be made available immediately for anybody who wants them.

“Coming to a sobering and assessment centre, there is no expectation other than come in, have a lie down until you are sober and then you can discharge of your own free will. But if you are interested, if this is the moment that that person is saying, ‘I think it’s time for me to get some different kinds of help,’ then they could potentially be put into a detox bed right on site. We can also connect them with other services in the community that might be helpful for them,” said Lewis.

Sobering centres are utilized in other communities in B.C. with funding coming from local health authorities.

After years of hard work and advocacy, Bass is hoping for a quick response from the ministry.

“A response would be good because we didn’t get one last term. A quick response would be great but the reality is the provincial government doesn’t move very quickly — which, as a former reporter, drives me nuts, because we need to get it done. It’s been seven years sitting around waiting for it, so I’m hoping the minister looks at it, doesn’t need to study it, and says, ‘Yeah, this is a good idea. Let’s do it,'” added Bass.