The government of Alberta is establishing two new organizations to aid in the growth of the addiction and mental health treatment systems.

The government of Alberta declared in November 2023 that it would be refocusing health care and establishing four new organizations to oversee and provide health care services throughout the province. Those included Acute care, ongoing care, primary care, and mental health and addiction. The mental health and addiction organization will be the first of these to be founded.

Currently provided by Alberta Health Services (AHS), mental health and addiction services will now be provided by Recovery Alberta, a new organization dedicated to these issues. The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence (CoRE), which will be established by the government of Alberta, will also assist in the development of recovery-focused healthcare systems by investigating global best practices in recovery, evaluating data, and formulating recommendations based on empirical evidence.

“Refocusing health care enables us to better prioritize the health care and services Albertans need. Giving Albertans living with mental health or addiction challenges an opportunity to pursue recovery and live a contributing life is the responsible and compassionate thing to do," stated Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. "I am so proud of the work we have done to be leaders in recovery, and I am looking forward to seeing both Recovery Alberta and the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence continue this work for years to come.”

Recovery Alberta will answer to the Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction and work to fulfill the Ministry's mission of offering Albertans high-quality, recovery-focused mental health and addiction services. It is projected that Recovery Alberta will have a $1.13 billion yearly budget from the Alberta government and be fully operational by the summer of 2024. This funding currently supports the delivery of mental health and addiction services through AHS.

“We’re making good progress on refocusing health care in Alberta. Today marks a pivotal milestone towards creating a system that truly serves the needs of Albertans. Through this refocused approach, our aim is to prioritize the needs of individuals and families to find a primary care provider, get urgent care without long waits, access the best-continuing care options, and have robust support systems for addiction recovery and mental health treatment,” stated Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health.

The current provincial leadership team for Addiction and Mental Health and Correctional Health Services within AHS will form the leadership team of Recovery Alberta.

The Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction hopes to create Recovery Alberta's corporate structure by June 3, while dates are subject to changes in legislation that have not yet been introduced. Staff and services would start operating under Recovery Alberta on July 1, following the formation of the corporate structure and management team.

Just recently, Alberta Health provided more details on how the province's budget will impact healthcare in Airdrie. 

The province's Capital Plan allots $3 million over three years for the purpose of "planning and exploring health care options for the north Calgary and Airdrie areas," according to representatives of Alberta Health. The North Calgary/Airdrie Regional Health Centre planning is included in the capital plan's specifics. According to Alberta Health officials, the plan is divided as follows:

  • $300,000 in 2024-25
  • $800,000 in 2025-26
  • $2 million in 2026-27

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