Akoka'tssini Mental Wellness Centre in Brocket opened six detox beds earlier this month. Photo by Alexandra Noad
ALEXANDRA NOAD, LETHBRIDGE HERALD
LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE
The Piikani Nation opened six medical detox beds in the Akok’tssini Mental Wellness Centre to help combat the opioid crisis the nation has been facing for the last few years.
The Piikani Nation declared a state of emergency due to the opioid epidemic at the end of Chief Troy (Bossman) Knowlton’s last term and in his campaign to be re-elected as chief he promised to implement procedures to flatten the curve.
Knowlton said the opening of the detox centre was an accumulation of a lot of hard work of people both on the frontlines and behind the scenes and something to be celebrated.
“It makes me proud to be chief at this day, in this time to be able to see help for our people and it’s a major accomplishment for our staff, for our frontline workers, for our leaders and those who have participated in the lobbying efforts and the late night calls and taking that time to make this happen,” Knowlton said.
The co-ed detox centre will help patients safely detox from alcohol and drugs while also helping them manage both physical and mental withdraw symptoms.
Charmayne Old Shoes, program leader at the Akok’tssini Wellness and Detox Centre, who has been working on the front lines during the opioid crisis, said many community members have been forced to utilize centres all over southern Alberta and having this service within their community has been a long time coming.
“A lot of our clients are going to be utilizing it, probably a number of times, just because it’s a new service here,” Old Shoes said. “A lot of them have never really gone through detox, so it’s so important, especially with the overdoses and the opioid crisis.”
Getting off of drugs is often a difficult process, with addicts dealing with many adverse side effects, such as the shakes, which without supervision can often be fatal.
For many battling addictions, it’s more than a mental battle to become sober.
“A lot of times their body is not allowing them to come off of it,” Old Shoes said. “They have the will, they have the mentality of ‘I’m done, I want to change,’ but a lot of times their body is not allowing them to, their body is pulling them back into that and they can’t control that.”
In addition to providing physical and mental supports, the centre will also be able to provide cultural knowledge and be able to advocate for their clients in a way traditional detox centres won’t be able.
Old Shoes said having fellow nation members serve their own people helps create trust for people in some of their darkest times.
“For our nation members its more comfortable for them to be here; it’s within their home and they don’t have to leave the nation and it’s about time we had that access to health care.”
Knowlton said the opening of the detox centre is just the beginning of a bright future for the Piikani people.
“It’s a proud day for Piikani,” Knowlton said. “It’s a proud day for me to be chief at this time in our history, to see these improvements and I’m very grateful to the Creator who has led me down this path to be here today.”
Akoka’tssini Mental Wellness and Detox Centre will begin accepting clients as early as next week. They also intend on expanding from six to nine beds in the near future.
