Alberta to add 60 community mental health, addiction recovery beds

The provincial government will add 60 community-based mental health and addiction recovery beds over two years in an effort to ease pressure on hospitals and improve patient flow.

Recovery Alberta will oversee the rollout of the beds, which will be delivered through partnerships with community providers across the province. Officials say locations and timelines will be announced in the coming months.

Thirty beds will be funded this year, with an additional 30 planned for next year.

The beds are intended for patients who no longer require acute hospital care but still need structured support as they continue their recovery. Without timely access to such care, officials say, patients’ conditions can worsen and lead to crisis situations that often result in emergency department visits or hospital admissions.

“Mental health and addiction care is a vital part of Alberta’s health system,” Mental Health and Addiction Minister Rick Wilson said in a statement. “By expanding community-based recovery beds, we are helping more people receive the right care at the right time while reducing pressure on hospitals and emergency departments.”

Community-based recovery beds provide a structured environment where patients can access clinical care, counselling and ongoing recovery supports while transitioning out of hospital.

Recovery Alberta CEO Kerry Bales said the expansion will strengthen access to evidence-based services across the province.

“Community recovery beds play an important role in the continuum of care, supporting individuals as they transition from hospital settings while continuing their recovery in a safe and supportive environment,” Bales said.

The province said the additional capacity is expected to help reduce unnecessary hospital stays and ensure acute care beds remain available for patients who need them most.

Recovery Alberta, established in 2024, delivers mental health, addiction and correctional health services across the province with a workforce of more than 10,000 staff and physicians.