Higgs government fast-tracked funding for Christian rehab centre, advocate finds
Government refers people to Village of Hope for treatment but offers no oversight, advocate says
The New Brunswick child and youth advocate says the previous provincial government fast-tracked funding to a private, Christian-based addiction recovery program with little oversight or accountability.
In September, the government led by Conservative Blaine Higgs announced almost $1.5 million for Village of Hope, a residential program in Upper Tracy, about 50 kilometres south of Fredericton. The money was meant to help the facility expand and to build a women's dorm.
At the time, advocates for people struggling with addiction said funding religious-based programs is not in itself a bad thing, but it needed to be balanced with secular programs. Village of Hope remains the only residential 10-month recovery program in the province for adults.
On Thursday, child and youth advocate Kelly Lamrock released a report after he reviewed the process of granting the funding. He said that while he found no wrongdoing by Village of Hope, cabinet had decided to fund the program before an application was made, and failed to consult experts on addiction and recovery or review due diligence reports.
Village
of Hope runs a 10-month Christian-based recovery program for people
struggling with addiction. It received about $1.5 million from the
provincial government for an expansion project. (Submitted by Shelley McLeod)
"Significant public funds were spent on a scarce public resource without adequate efforts to ensure that the funds met the broader public interest," Lamrock said in a statement. "Private services jumped the queue without adequate oversight to protect both people seeking treatment and the taxpayer."
Lamrock said he decided to review the funding because his office represents adults with mental health struggles and disabilities. He also said with 300 people on formal waitlists for addiction recovery services, and many more whose names have yet to be added to a waitlist, his office needed to scrutinize this government spending.
Cabinet approved funding before application
Lamrock said the application for funding was made after the project was approved by cabinet, and after a meeting between Village of Hope and the former premier in May.
The money came from the Regional Development Corporation, a provincial Crown corporation that plans, co-ordinates and implements regional and economic development, according to the province's website.
Lamrock's report says after cabinet approved the funding, the corporation was "tasked" with getting an application from Village of Hope.
The report says in granting funding to Village of Hope, the corporation "did not even review Village of Hope Inc.'s own due diligence report, let alone invite commentary from experts."
Village
of Hope's clients work at the on-site sawmill but don't get paid.
Executive director Andrew Vähi says any profit goes back into the
program. (Hadeel Ibrahim/CBC)
He said other addiction services that apply for government funding from the Department of Health have to go through regulatory hoops and commit to consistent reporting of results before they're granted funding.
Lamrock said being faith-based should not mean the program gets less scrutiny.
"This is the very definition of a program jumping the queue, as it placed Village of Hope Inc. on a playing field much less regulated and monitored than the process applied to other treatment programs," the report says.
Lamrock said the corporation is "politicized" and "has no place in the funding of social programs."
He said services like addiction recovery involve vulnerable people, and need more oversight and stringent checks and balances.
'Good faith' approach from Village of Hope
Lamrock said Village of Hope staff acted in "good faith" when they applied for the funding through the Regional Development Corporation, and he is not recommending that the funding be reconsidered.
He said the responsibility lies on government to make sure the program serves the New Brunswick public as a whole.
"Currently, several government departments appear to refer vulnerable people to Village of Hope while taking no responsibility for oversight to avoid exploitation," Lamrock said, noting that attending Village of Hope includes unpaid labour and supervised living conditions.
CBC News has asked the Village of Hope and the province for comment.
Lamrock said he met with leaders from Village of Hope, who explained that they do measure the success of their program and have conducted a five-year followup study with their attendees. But Lamrock said for an issue as complex as addiction, there should be a more formalized way to vet private programs, regardless of their faith.
In his report Lamrock recommends that the province develop a process to regulate and accredit any private facility it refers people to. He also said the province must address the growing waitlists for recovery, and clarify the role of the Regional Development Corporation.
David Amos
Reply to Fred Emmersen Turner
Reply to ralph jacobs
Be careful in letting a religious organization anywhere near public money; it will be gone faster than you can say "Bless you".
David Amos
Content Deactivated
Bless you
William James
Reply to David Amos
Argh! My wallet's empty!!
David Amos
Content Deactivated
You reap what you sow
Reply to David Amos
Reply to William James
What a sad commentary...
Don Corey
Reply to William James
The feds are even quicker than that with our tax money. There's just one word...."Spend!!!"
Reply to William James
Dianne MacPherson
What Group runs Village of Hope ??
Do we presume that Lamrock questions
their ability to perform their mandate??
Tempest in a teapot .
David Amos
Reply to Dianne MacPherson
Yup
Reply to Bob Smith
Ralph Skavinsky
I am somewhat appalled with the way some, no many, people are quick to jump all over the Christian faith because of any past practices which might in fact be very terrible. Certainly, nasty things happen in life whether Christian or not. Why? Because we are all ..people which means all "godly" clergy are not really practicing true Christian ways. But many do.
Sam Carson
Reply to Ralph Skavinsky
That is not why I am against religion. I see many including family members who proclaim to be a christian but talk about others and don't think certain people count.
David Amos
Content Deactivated
Why so pious all of sudden? You read the same comments I did all summer long
Don Corey
Lamrock should be pleased that at least we have this treatment program available for many NB'ers. From what we see, hear and read about every day, we have way too many addicts (consistent with what is a Canada-wide crisis) and limited treatment facilities.
He'd probably be praising the outfit in the story if it was a Catholic program.
David Webb
Reply to Don Corey
Catholic is a christian faith.
Don Corey
Reply to David Webb
Not of the variety that gets heavily criticized here.
David Amos
Reply to Don Corey
Amen
Allan Marven
So I have to become a christian to get addiction treatment as part of my medicare plan?
Ralph Skavinsky
Reply to Allan Marven
That's one very good reason, Allan....
David Amos
Reply to Ralph Skavinsky
Nope
David Sampson
I enjoyed a discussion yesterday with a chap who disagreed with my observation that Higgs pandered to the religious right community throughout his reign. This is yet another instance which proves my point!
Allan Marven
Reply to David Sampson
I think he had something for what's her name.
David Webb
Reply to David Sampson
What government doesn't pander to buy votes with the taxpayers own money? Just look at the feds go with their HST pause with ON and Atlantic Canada are the only ones with HST. Guess where they have sunk wildly in the polls. Looking at things through rose colored glass will not give one a realistic and non partisan view.
Ralph Skavinsky
Reply to David Sampson
I feel we just might be a better world if we looked at it with a Christian perspective. Mr. Higgs appears to be living his life with Christ as his lead.
Don Corey
Reply to David Webb
Yep, and the feds were also so kind as to drop the infamous carbon tax on furnace oil after all the pleading from Atlantic Canada MPs. According to the polls it's not buying what they were expecting, but on a positive note it removes at least one tax burden for certain consumers.
By next year at this time the tax will be history.
David Amos
Reply to Ralph Skavinsky
Ask yourself why I ran against him after he did nothing to protect his flock
David Amos
Reply to Don Corey
Yup
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