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Part of New and proposed legislation

Modernizing addiction treatment licensing

Bill 37 would support quality mental health and addiction care and help Albertans access the right supports to meet their needs.

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Status: Bill 37 was introduced on February 25, 2025
Ministry responsible: Mental Health and Addiction

Overview

Bill 37, Mental Health Services Protection Amendment Act, 2025, would amend the Mental Health Services Protection Act to provide more flexibility to be responsive to the evolving needs of Albertans. The proposed amendments provide better oversight for mental health and addiction services and help ensure Albertans receive quality standardized treatment and services.

Key changes

If passed, Bill 37 will make the following amendments:

Enhancing bed-based addiction treatment services

Currently, all bed-based addiction treatment services are subject to the same licensing requirements, regardless of the type or intensity of services provided.

The proposed amendments would create 3 types of bed-based addiction treatment services subject to separate licensing requirements:

  • Withdrawal management services – Medically supervised services to manage or support an individual through the process of withdrawal from one or more substances.
  • Intensive treatment services – Intensive and structured residential care for individuals with addiction.
  • Non-intensive recovery services – Services, in a recovery-oriented environment, that provide less-intensive treatment compared to intensive treatment services.

Introducing exemptions

Proposed amendments would authorize the Minister of Mental Health and Addiction to exempt specific people or service providers on a case-by-case basis from requirements in the Mental Health Services Protection Act framework.

Exemptions would be allowed in specific instances, such as for medical reasons, scientific research, or when there’s a clear public benefit. Exemptions would only be granted in rare and complex circumstances. Clear guidelines would be developed to ensure exemptions are only granted in appropriate circumstances.

Refining regulatory requirements

Proposed amendments would:

  • move content regarding bed-based addiction treatment services from the act to the regulation and/or standards
  • rename 'residential addiction treatment services' to 'bed-based addiction treatment services' and 'supervised consumption services' to 'drug consumption services'
  • update certain language for clarity

These amendments would address regulatory inconsistencies, clarify requirements and better align the act with the Alberta Recovery Model.

Read more about: Bill 37: Mental Health Services Protection Amendment Act, 2025

Next steps

If passed, the Mental Health Services Protection Amendment Act will come into effect in fall 2025.

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