The Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions says 12 of 100 addiction recovery and treatment beds announced this morning will be coming to the Kamloops area.

ASK Wellness was one of 14 organizations chosen to operate the publicly-funded beds meant to serve the Thompson-Cariboo-Shuswap. It is part of $13 million being administered through the Canadian Mental Health Association in consultation with the Province and health authorities.

The Province says these additional beds will increase access to addictions treatment and recovery bed-based services in every health authority by bringing beds into the public system.

It also says it will help to address long-standing service gaps for Indigenous peoples, women, rural and remote communities, and people transitioning from corrections.

“We are thrilled that the funding will create more than 100 new public beds in communities across B.C., even more than we anticipated when we announced 50 to 70 beds last summer,” Mental Health and Addictions Minister Sheila Malcolmson said.

“There’s more to do, but we are working hard to build up a strong system of addictions and mental health care.”

While a large number of the beds will be in the Lower Mainland but there will also be beds in Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon, the Comox Valley, Nanaimo, Prince Rupert, and Port Alberni.