Posted on by Recovery Capital Conference

The Alberta Recovery Model: Advancing Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care in Canada

Alberta Recovery Model

Dr Nathaniel Day, Evam Romanow, Kerry Bales, Kym Kaufmann

Panel 2 – Recovery Healthcare Stream – The Alberta Recovery Model: Advancing Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care in Canada

September 23rd – Macleod Hall C & D South Building 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM

The Alberta Recovery Model: Advancing Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care in Canada

Session Description

A recovery-oriented system of care (ROSC) ensures a continuum of community-based services from prevention to recovery. The Alberta Recovery Model incorporates ROSC principles, correctional health services, and two new organizations created in 2024: Recovery Alberta and the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence (CoRE). This series will cover recent developments in the Alberta Recovery Model, including compassionate intervention legislation, updates from the standalone mental health and addiction health authority with correctional health services – Recovery Alberta, and early evaluation and research findings from CoRE. The overall impact of the Alberta Recovery Model has been positive, with reductions in overdose deaths, improvements in wait times, and enhancements in the lives of Albertans. The Alberta Recovery Model and its focus on recovery-oriented systems of care is a promising approach that should be available for all Canadians.

Learning Objectives

  • Gain insight into the Alberta Recovery Model and its recent developments.
  • Review the progress and advancements of Recovery Alberta since its inception.
  • Examine the effectiveness of the Alberta Recovery Model along with early evaluations, research, and guidance documents produced by CoRE.

BIO

Dr. Nathaniel Day

Dr. Nathaniel Day, MD CCFP Dip. ABAM CHE

Dr. Nathaniel Day is the Chief Scientific Officer at the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence, providing expert guidance on program evaluation and development. Dr. Day is an addiction medicine specialist with a medical degree from the University of Alberta, serves as the Provincial Medical Director of Addiction, within the addiction and mental health, and correctional health services portfolio with Alberta Health Services, served as the medical director for the Centennial Centre for Mental Health and Brain Injury, and Alberta’s Virtual Opioid Dependency Program. With his team at Alberta Health services, he conceptualized and developed the innovative Virtual Opioid Dependency Program. Dr. Day also served on the Minister’s Opioid Emergency Response Commission and co-chaired the Recovery Expert Advisory Panel. His work has been recognized by provincial and national bodies.

Evan Romanow

Evan Romanow was appointed Deputy Minister of Alberta’s Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction in June 2023. In this role he supports the Minister and is responsible for leading implementation of Alberta’s recovery-oriented system of care and coordinating all Government of Alberta resources dedicated to delivering mental health and addiction services across the province.

Since joining the Government of Alberta in 2011, he has served as an executive and senior leader in the ministries of: Health; Seniors & Housing; Executive Council; Innovation & Advanced Education; Human Services; and International & Intergovernmental Relations.

He currently serves on the Boards of Directors for the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) and Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA), and previously for Alberta Health Services, and worked and volunteers in the non-profit and voluntary sector with multiple community organizations.

Evan has undergraduate and Master’s degrees in Political Sciences from the University of Alberta and is bilingual in English and French.


Kerry Bales, RN, BScN, MA Chief Executive Officer. Recovery Alberta

Kerry is an accomplished leader in healthcare service delivery and strategy planning in the province of Alberta for more than two decades.

In his current role as Chief Executive Officer of Recovery Alberta, Mental Health and Addiction Services. Kerry is responsible for providing provincial leadership of the Addiction and Mental Health and the Correctional Health Services in order to serve all impacted Albertans.

Kerry has built strong relationships with many partners, including government; health foundations; academic institutions; the workforce; patients, clients and families; and communities across Alberta. Under his leadership, all AHS mental health and addiction programs, services, and operations (including those within health zones) have been consolidated under the former AHS Provincial Addiction and Mental Health program. Kerry continues to be instrumental in leading the efforts in the creation of the new Mental Health and Addiction organization which will continue to deliver the mental health, addiction, and correctional health services currently provided by AHS, with oversight from Alberta’s Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction.

Prior to his roles in MHA, Kerry served as a Chief Zone Officer, with Alberta Health Services, with responsibility for providing clinical leadership in the Central Zone.

Kerry is a Registered Nurse and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing and Master’s degree in Healthcare Leadership.

Kym Kaufmann, BA, MOT, OTReg.

Ms. Kaufmann is the CEO of the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence (CoRE) – a new crown corporation in Alberta that provides leadership on recovery-oriented mental health and addiction systems of care. Prior to this, Ms. Kaufmann was the Deputy Minister of Mental Health and Addiction in Manitoba. In this role, she was responsible for policy, planning, funding, and oversight of the provincial mental health and addiction system. She also served as Chief Executive Officer of Eden Health Care Services – a psychiatric hospital and mental health service provider with inpatient, outpatient, community mental health, housing, counselling and employment services. For the preceding ten years, she worked at Selkirk Mental Health Centre in various senior level positions ending her career there as Director of Operations. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Sociology, a Master of Occupational Therapy, certificates in Public Sector Management and Quality Management, and is a registered occupational therapist.

Join us for the Alberta Recovery Summit, hosted by the 9th Annual Recovery Capital Conference taking place on September 23rd, 24th, and 25th, 2025.

 Session Streams

  • Health Care and Recovery
  • Indigenous Health
  • Occupational Health and Safety

 Key Details

  • DAY ONE September 23rd – 5:30 pm 6:30: Early Badge Pick Up and Networking Reception, 6:30 pm to 8 pm Pre Conference Presentation
  • DAY TWO September 24th – 8:45 am to 5 pm: Keynote Speakers and Breakout Sessions
  • DAY THREE September 25th – 9 am to 5 pm: Keynote Speakers and Breakout Sessions

 Hotels

Book your hotel at one of our host hotels and save money. Click on the links for the discount rates and book early as rates will go up, and they always sell out.

Schedule

Speakers

Registration

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