The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence

CoRE will ensure Alberta leads in developing data-driven policies and best practices for mental health and addiction recovery.

[The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence @RecovExcel]

A new study published in Addiction examined outcomes after the closure of the Red Deer Overdose Prevention Site (OPS) in Alberta.
People who use OPS often live with severe addiction and significant social and economic vulnerability. For them — and their families — it matters that services truly help.

[The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence @RecovExcel]

🔎 Clearer understanding between mental health and mental illness helps direct limited resources to where they are needed most.

Learn more: https://t.co/kwQxrryAgU

Because better data ➡️ better care. #MentalHealth #EvidenceMatters

[The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence @RecovExcel]

🧠 Mental health and mental illness are not the same thing. In our June Mental Health and Addiction Brief, we explore why clarity matters.

Mental health changes based on life events while mental illness refers to diagnosable medical conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depressive disorder.

[The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence @RecovExcel]

CoRE is a proud member of the Health Data Research Network Canada—an organization that is helping advance policies, partnerships and infrastructure that support high-impact, multi-regional research to improve health systems and care for all.

Because better data ➡️better care

Learn more: https://t.co/5yLgpqFtPO

[The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence @RecovExcel]

Recovery doesn’t end with treatment. It continues in community.​🏡

At CoRE, we’re proud to work alongside leaders shaping better systems of care.

[The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence @RecovExcel]

🎉 Congratulations to Dr. Nathaniel Day on being named the 2026 recipient of the Effectuating Change in Opioid Use Disorder Care award by @wcaforum .​

​His work doesn’t just advance systems—it changes lives.

[The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence @RecovExcel]

💵 As part of the award, $10K will go to @FreshStartRC, supporting post-treatment housing—critical for long-term recovery.

[The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence @RecovExcel]

CoRE was proud to deliver two presentations at the Alberta Criminal Justice Symposium on May 13.

🎤 Dr. Shelly Vik, Executive Director of Evaluation & Research, shared emerging methods for earlier detection of street drugs.

🎤 Alessia DiMarzo from CoRE’s survey team presented on Opioid Agonist Therapy in correctional settings.

Because better data ➡️better care #EvidenceMatters #Alberta #HealthResearch #CriminalJustice #Opioids #Corrections #PublicHealth

[The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence @RecovExcel]

What sets it apart:
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Peer support 🛌 Strong routines & relationships 🏢 Skills, purpose, and daily structure

When systems are designed to support recovery, everyone wins.

Better data ➡️better care.

[The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence @RecovExcel]

🏘️ Recovery takes a community.

Recovery Communities support people through addiction with peer connection, care, and wraparound supports—from mental health to employment and housing.

[The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence @RecovExcel]

🌍 CoRE’s CEO, Kym Kaufmann, is shaping addiction conversations on the global stage.

She was invited to speak virtually at #CICAD in Chile—one of the most influential forums on substance use, addiction, and recovery with representation from 35 countries.

Her invitation reflects growing recognition of CoRE’s work advancing recovery-oriented systems of care.

Because better data ➡️better care.

[The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence @RecovExcel]

May's Mental Health and Addiction Brief looks at how Alberta’s Drug Treatment Courts (DTC) offer a different path to treatment, accountability and recovery.

The results:
🧑‍🎓 ~80% graduate
🧑 ~70% don’t reoffend

Because better data ➡️ better care.
Learn more: https://t.co/Ax1B7NEk3Q

[The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence @RecovExcel]

🚫 No waitlist. Flexible access. Real outcomes.

🧠 Counselling Alberta delivers province-wide counselling with sliding-scale fees, virtual/in-person care, and services guided by real-time client feedback.
https://t.co/cEQdJUZvDL

Counselling Alberta is part of the Alberta Recovery Model , Alberta’s framework for implementing a Recovery Oriented System of Care. https://t.co/qm8hC3OWzr

[The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence @RecovExcel]

CASA Mental Health provides several programs, including:
🏠 Live-in treatment
☀️ Day programs
🎓 School-based care

All designed to provide the right support at the right time—and give young people the chance to thrive. https://t.co/oubs8H87Bk

CASA Mental Health is part of the Alberta Recovery Model, Alberta’s framework for implementing a Recovery Oriented System of Care. https://t.co/qm8hC3OWzr

[The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence @RecovExcel]

If you need help, your healthcare provider can quickly connect you to the right care through RAAPID.

🧑‍⚕️ RAAPID connects Alberta healthcare providers to real-time clinical advice, specialist referrals, and coordinated patient transfers—helping ensure timely, appropriate care when it matters most.

https://t.co/qm8hC3OoJT

[The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence @RecovExcel]

Today is the World Day for Safety and Health at Work. 🧑‍🏭 👷‍♀️

Safe workplaces aren’t just a legal requirement in Canada 🍁 — they can also support recovery.

CoRE and the University of Alberta’s Dr. Charl Els created the Recovery Friendly Workplace Series to help employers support workers navigating mental health and substance-related challenges.

Learn more:
https://t.co/8aQAqn5Maa

[The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence @RecovExcel]

Happy #EarthDay 🌎
Nature doesn’t just support ecosystems — it supports our mental health.
Even small amounts of time outdoors can improve mood and overall well-being. 🌿

Learn more about the benefits:
➡️ Nurtured by nature: https://t.co/hO8KnN8hvi

➡️ Nature can have a nurturing effect on your mental health: https://t.co/WJVaQG4GQS?

[The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence @RecovExcel]

This is not a failure—it’s a signal that we need to look deeper, ask harder questions, and continue evaluating what truly works in real-world settings.

Because better data ➡️ better care.

Learn more: https://t.co/drZt3xpiMa

[The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence @RecovExcel]

The result:

👉 There was no significant reduction in overdose deaths or improvements in treatment uptake or retention.

[The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence @RecovExcel]

💵 A $350M USD study across 67 communities tested some of the most commonly supportedoverdose prevention strategies, including:

• Naloxone distribution
• Safer opioid prescribing
• Overdose education
• Stigma-reduction initiatives
• Increased access to opioid agonist treatment (OAT), primarily methadone

[The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence @RecovExcel]

👇 CoRE's April Mental Health and Addiction Brief focuses on lessons from a large overdose prevention study and the implications for jurisdictions responding to an evolving overdose crisis.