WORKSHOP: Reimagining Addiction Care: System-Level Innovations from Alberta's Recovery-Oriented Research Network

Learning Objectives

1. Describe Alberta's system-level strategy for developing a recovery-oriented continuum of addiction services;
2. Discuss the design, outcomes, and policy implications of key CORE research initiatives (e.g., supervised consumption site evaluation, Suboxone diversion study, compassionate intervention framework); and
3. Identify practical approaches to integrating evidence generation with implementation in clinical and policy settings.

Abstract

Across Canada, addiction services are undergoing transformation toward more integrated, evidence- informed systems of care. Alberta's Recovery-Oriented System of Care (ROSC) provides a unique laboratory for evaluating innovative models that balance harm reduction, recovery, and compassionate intervention. This workshop, led by researchers and clinicians from the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence (CORE), presents recent findings and lessons from Alberta's ongoing addiction system evaluation. Case studies include the closure of a supervised consumption site and its impact on opioid agonist therapy uptake, early results from the Suboxone Diversion Project, and the Compassionate Intervention Framework - a novel model for managing high-risk substance use in community settings. Using a systems-integration lens, presenters will explore methodological, ethical, and policy challenges in real-time implementation research. Participants will leave with practical tools for evaluating and scaling evidence-informed addiction interventions across diverse contexts.

Literature References

1. Effective and Compassionate Intervention: Civil Commitment for Individuals with Severe Addiction in Alberta, Canada. Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence; March 2025. 
2. Bahji, Anees et al. "What Psychiatrists Should Know About Prescribed Safer Opioid Supply." Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie vol. 69,11 (2024): 806-808. doi:10.1177/07067437241289964 
3. Bahji, Anees. "Navigating the Complex Intersection of Substance Use and Psychiatric Disorders: A Comprehensive Review." Journal of clinical medicine vol. 13,4 999. 9 Feb. 2024, doi:10.3390/jcm13040999