U of R receives grant to develop an app for culturally-appropriate addiction treatment
- EFN Staff | March 15, 2018
Researchers at the University of Regina (U of R) received an award to create an app to deliver culturally-adapted substance addiction treatment support for people in remote and rural areas.
The announcement was made at the U of R earlier this week where the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Ralph Goodale met with the researchers to talk about their work.
“They’re focusing on real life local challenges…how do you use technology to bring it home in local communities,” said Goodale. “The other in terms of treating elderly people… sustaining their lifestyle. That kind of practical focus is very valuable in our healthcare system and will bring tangible results.”
U of R Associate Professor of Social Work Dr. Randy Johner received the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) award along with her team of researchers to build an app to help people who struggle with addictions who live in areas where accesses to services are hard to come by.
“[I’m feeling] excited, overwhelmed, ecstatic and just ready to go. We’re so pleased to have this award,” said Dr. Johner. “We’re hoping it will make a big difference but we won’t know until we’ve actually develop test the app. We will see where it will take us from there.”
Dr. Johner received $451,000 for this project and her team of researchers and community partners will begin to explore and develop the culturally-informed app this summer and will carry forward into the next three years. The app will be a support or augment treatment, an access to recovery and will act as a counsellor without the counsellor in front of the person in need. A supportive measure that will give people information a refresher on what they learned while in treatment.
In partnership with the research team, Metis Addictions Council Executive Director Shauna Lafontaine said this app will be an efficient mechanism tool for people in the northern remote communities.
“You still have the access issues that we face in the northern communities,” said Lafontaine. “With the app, we’re excited that you’re going to be able to get access to somebody at all times or to get information that will better assist you and let you know where your journey needs to begin.”
Lafontaine added the app will be more cost effective as it will be able to put the resources into the client’s hands immediately. Volunteers from the Métis Addictions Council of Saskatchewan Inc. (MACSI) and their community members will test the app upon completion.