WestCoast Recovery Explores New Approaches to Addiction Recovery at Victoria Legislative Meeting

Recovery happens in many ways, from direct support on the streets to innovative system-level strategies. Recently, WestCoast Recovery had the privilege of meeting with MLA Lynne Block and community advocate Herman Mah at the Legislative Building in Victoria. Herman Mah, who has extensive experience with numerous Vancouver-based charities, is dedicated to advancing innovative approaches to recovery. The discussion focused on urgent provincial challenges—homelessness, mental health, and the ongoing drug toxicity crisis—and ways to address them through community-based solutions.

Bringing Ideas to the Table

During the meeting, our founder Teresa Reeve shared her perspective from the front lines of outreach and recovery work. These included ideas for getting people into recovery more quickly, including smaller recovery homes or buildings that offer treatment and stability on a more personal, manageable scale. Herman Mah offered valuable feedback, contributing insights to help refine and complement these ideas. The conversation was collaborative, supportive, and focused on creating meaningful pathways toward recovery for those who need it most.

Exploring New Models for Addiction Recovery

Some of the ideas brought forward by WestCoast Recovery included:

• Smaller treatment facilities that allow for more individualized care

• Rapid deployment models that can respond to people in need quickly

• Novel approaches to complex mental health and addiction challenges

• Integrating Overdose Prevention Sites (OPS) with pathways to recovery

By focusing on these strategies, WestCoast Recovery aims to combine hands-on support with innovative systemic solutions that can reach more people sooner.

Looking Forward

At WestCoast Recovery, we’re committed to both street-level outreach and thinking differently about the future of recovery and harm reduction. Conversations like this help us explore new possibilities, pilot approaches that work, and bring ideas into practice that make a real difference.

If you are involved in recovery, harm reduction, or mental health work and want to connect, reach out to WestCoast Recovery today. Collaboration is key to creating faster, more effective paths to recovery.