Notice of Program Closure
August 31, 2020
ARCHES – 1016 1St Ave S location
Dear Friends and Supporters of ARCHES,
It is with heavy hearts that we close the doors of the Lethbridge supervised consumption site.
The past several months have been difficult and today marks a significant transition.
It has been the goal of ARCHES to reduce barriers to service for those individuals who need it.
The provision of compassionate, responsible, confidential, and non-judgmental supports to
individuals has been core to the work of ARCHES, and we know there are many community
agencies in Lethbridge and the surrounding area that will continue this vision.
ARCHES’ Board of Directors would like to take a moment to thank the staff of ARCHES who have
provided service to the community through the various programs we have offered over the
years. Staff have worked with passion, care, concern, and empathy for those who have
accessed services at ARCHES. The staff and Board have received a considerable amount of
support from the community, and we would like to thank those who have reached out.
The ARCHES’ Board of Directors and staff have been working with representatives from Alberta
Health to wind down operations of several programs that have been funded through the
Supervised Consumption Services and Needle Debris Mitigation Grants. ARCHES has worked
closely with Alberta Health to facilitate a smooth program transition for all impacted clients and
stakeholders. This will help ensure continued transitional support as the Provincial
Government’s Grant Agreements with ARCHES for the existing supervised consumption site
ends.
Alberta Health Services is providing supervised consumption services through a mobile
Overdose Prevention Site (OPS). This service can be accessed outside of the Lethbridge Shelter
and Resource Centre at 802 2A Avenue North, Lethbridge. The OPS is operating seven days per
week from 8:00am to 4:00am. For information about the operation of the overdose prevention
site, please contact Alberta Health Services Patient Relations at 1-855-550-2555. All other
requests for further information should be directed to Alberta Health Services.
For concerns about needle debris, please contact the Needle Debris Hotline at 403-332-0772.
Our operational funding ending today affects the following programs under the ARCHES banner:
- Supervised Consumption Services
- Needle Debris Hotline
- Virtual Opioid Dependency Program
- Justice Services
- Mic Club
- COAP (Community Outreach Addictions Program)
- Take Home Naloxone
- Urban Spirits Nursing Clinic
The Board of Directors of ARCHES
Mission
ARCHES is a non-for-profit organization that provides leadership in building individual and community capacity to respond and reduce the harm associated with HIV and Hepatitis C in South-Western Alberta.
