Substance use

Types of substance use care

• Harm reduction

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  Harm reduction is an approach to care that minimizes the health impacts of a behaviour. For example, sunscreen reduces the harms from sun exposure and seatbelts reduce the harms of car crashes. 

  For those who use drugs, harm reduction can reduce the negative impacts from using unregulated substances. Harm reduction strategies include naloxone to reduce risk of death, drug testing strips, provision of sanitary equipment like needles and pipes, prescribed alternatives to the unregulated drug supply, medications for Opioid Use Disorder, and overdose response plans. 

  The goal of harm reduction is to reduce the impacts of unregulated substances on people who use drugs. It is one set of tools in a comprehensive response to the toxic drug crisis that also includes detox and recovery treatment. 

  • Harm Reduction Supplies and Needle Distribution Sites
  • Drug Checking
  • Supervised Consumption and Overdose Prevention Sites
  • Overdose Outreach Teams (qathet region, Whistler, Pemberton, Squamish, lower Sunshine Coast, Vancouver and the North Shore)
  • Substance Use Public Education (Vancouver)

  See all harm reduction services and learn more about harm reduction

• Outreach

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  Overdose Outreach Teams (OOT) connect people to support who have recently experienced an opioid overdose and/or who are at high risk for opioid overdose. 

  Teams serve the qathet region, Whistler, Pemberton, Squamish, lower Sunshine Coast, Vancouver and the North Shore.

  Find this service near you

• Withdrawal services (detox), treatment and recovery

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  Treatment and recovery can involve many different services depending on a person’s goals and preferences. Services include groups, one-on-one counselling, medications such as Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT), and bed-based treatment or supportive recovery programs. People often access more than one type of service and will find what works for them throughout their recovery journey. 

  If you want to stop or reduce your use of drugs and/or alcohol but are struggling doing that, you might benefit from one or a combination of these services.

• Youth, pregnant people and specific populations

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  Youth (ages 13 up to 24) who use substances 

  Vancouver Coastal Health's free youth substance use services are designed to meet the needs of youth struggling with substance use or addiction to drugs or alcohol. 

  Learn more about youth substance use services. 

  Pregnant people who use substances 

  • Sheway (Vancouver) : Sheway's Program Model is based on the recognition that the health of women and their children is linked to the conditions of their lives and their ability to influence these conditions. Services are provided in response to the needs of pregnant and parenting women. 
  • Indigenous Health Outreach (IHO): IHO includes an Outreach Doula service which provides perinatal outreach care (Vancouver). 
  • Overdose Outreach Team (VCH region-wide): Connecting birthers to support who have recently experienced an opioid overdose and/or who are at high risk for opioid overdose. Serving the qathet region, Whistler, Pemberton, Squamish, Lower Sunshine Coast, Vancouver and the North Shore 
  • Early Years Public Health Nursing Team (VCH region-wide) 

  Other services in the region include BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre  for families in recovery (FIR) (Provincial access, based in Vancouver) and  St. Paul’s Hospital Maternity in Vancouver. 

  2SLGBTQIA+ people who use substances  

  • Vancouver Addiction Matrix Program (VAMP): VAMP is a 12-week outpatient group. VAMP is open to adults aged 18 and over living in Vancouver who are experiencing challenges with substance use. There are 2 streams; one for all-gender and one for gay, bisexual, queer and trans men.  

  Other services include HIM and VCH Trans Speciality Care (Vancouver). 

  Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deaf-Blind  

  The VCH Deaf Well-Bring Program offers services to the deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind community. Their website lists their services which includes substance use support services. 

  Indigenous people who use substances 

  • Indigenous Health Outreach (IHO): supports unhoused or precariously housed people in the Downtown Eastside (DTES) community in Vancouver with complex mental health and/or substance use challenges and connects them to cultural supports and health service. 
  • Indigenous Crisis Response Team (Vancouver): provides same-day mobile mental health and wellness crisis response services for people who may be experiencing or nearing a mental health crisis and who may or may not actively use substances.
  • Indigenous Youth Outreach (Vancouver): Provides outreach services specific to Indigenous Youth through Indigenous Health Outreach for unhoused or precariously housed people in the Downtown Eastside (DTES) community in Vancouver with complex mental health and/or substance use challenges and connects them to cultural supports and health services 

  People who use methamphetamine 

  • Goal Getters, part of Substance use services at Three Bridges Community Health Centre, supports people trying to change their meth use. (Vancouver) See the Three Bridges Substance use services calendar. 

  Women who use substances 

  • Sisters Together in Active Recovery (STAR) (Vancouver): STAR offers free group and short-term counselling options for women having problems related to the use of drugs or alcohol.