Developing knowledge translation tools need to implement person-centred addiction care

Addiction affects many Albertans, and is associated with a high burden of morbidity, mortality, and increased acute healthcare utilization. A significant proportion of people who use drugs and/or excessive alcohol also face social marginalization, in the form of unstable housing, low income, and deterioration in other important determinants of health and well-being. The Addiction Recovery Community Health (ARCH) initiative delivers person-centered, wraparound supports that meet patients where they are and espouses a harm reduction philosophy.

ARCH has had tremendous success in Edmonton and was looking share its approach so that compassionate, wraparound support would be available to patients across the province. To help the program scale up, we partnered with ARCH to create an implementation manual to be used by healthcare leadership in Alberta’s largest cities. With this manual we told ARCH’s story —what they did, how they did it, and most importantly, why they did it. The manual was created to invite others to adopt the unique approach, provide relationship-based care for patients at risk, and save lives. An online, interactive map was created to help healthcare providers find and connect patients with inner city services across all major cities in Alberta.

View the interactive map