One of the critiques often heard in the media about private addiction treatment facilities is lack of government oversight. In some areas of the country, anyone can open a rehab treatment facility with no credentials at all, which has resulted in some well-publicized stories of fraud and heartbreak for families. We at EHN Canada are disappointed that these facilities are allowed to exist as long as they do. Although inevitably they are shut down, many treatment facilities take money from countless hopeful and vulnerable Canadians in desperate need of addiction treatment. Since health care is regulated provincially, we and the Canadian public rely on each province to put a stop to clinics who employ unlicensed, untrained staff, defraud their clients, and who refuse to follow ethical business practices, let alone evidence-based treatment programs.
We Want Higher Standards
We at EHN Canada prefer regulation as it protects Canadians from unprofessional facilities while nurturing public trust in the quality of the care we provide. The government clearly believes in us—we have select beds at our facilities dedicated for publicly-funded patients. We have high levels of collaboration with hospitals and healthcare providers, and a reputation for excellence in our local communities. We win awards. We’re consulted for nationwide research. As the premier provider of addiction treatment in Canada, we want to be associated with professional excellence in addiction treatment, not borderline criminal organizations. So while some provinces currently refuse to regulate facilities, we are encouraged that others recognize the need for stricter oversight and we welcomed the opportunity to become licensed in Alberta.
Finally, Licensing in Alberta
EHN Canada has sought the highest accreditation formerly possible: Accreditation Canada, an organization that ensures high quality healthcare in facilities across the country. Now, the province of Alberta has introduced a licensing process for addiction facilities to safeguard the public. Under the Mental Health Services Protection Act, all residential addiction treatment providers require a license. The new law creates a forum for public complaints, and grants new authority to the provincial government to suspend or revoke a provider’s license. These laws also create the College of Counselling Therapy of Alberta to regulate therapists, addiction counsellors, and child and youth counsellors. These new regulations help to protect patients against receiving treatment from untrained staff or facilities.
Sandstone EHN Among First to be Licensed
We are proud to announce that Sandstone—our Calgary facility—is one of the first in Alberta to receive the pleasure and honour of a license. When you or your loved one visit our facility for any of our programs, you know that the care you receive is not only high quality evidence-based care, but also government regulated. We know private addiction treatment is an investment, and we want you to invest in a facility that will provide the best care for you or your family member. We hope this regulation provides you more peace of mind that you’re making the right choice by coming to Sandstone or any one of our EHN Canada facilities.
If Your Province Isn’t Regulated…
While we hope this move by the Alberta government sets a precedent for other provinces to regulate addiction treatment, we highly recommend that you do your research when choosing a facility. In addition to reading reviews, be sure to visit the facility to get a feel for the environment, and never be afraid to ask staff members about their licenses, registrations, and qualifications. Having registered healthcare providers on staff, such as doctors and nurses, should be necessity, and if staff cannot provide you their qualifications, you should look elsewhere for treatment.
While we stand by over a century of collective experience between our EHN Canada facilities, we are thankful that Alberta has taken steps to regulate private addiction treatment, and we’re proud to be among the first facilities to hold that license.
We Can Help You
If you would like to learn more about our programs and facilities, including Sandstone, please call us at one of the numbers below. You can call us anytime.
- 1-800-387-6198 for Bellwood Health Services in Toronto, ON
- 1-587-350-6818 for EHN Sandstone, in Calgary, AB
- 1-800-683-0111 for Edgewood Treatment Centre in Nanaimo, BC
- 1-888-488-2611 for Clinique Nouveau Depart in Montreal, QC
