Psychology at the heart of a New Addiction Policy
When Alberta launched the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence (CoRE) in 2024, it marked the province’s most ambitious attempt yet to align addiction policy with research and psychology. Framed as a Crown corporation within the Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction, CoRE is charged with a delicate mission: to evaluate what truly works in addiction recovery and to turn that evidence into actionable policy.
In the year since its creation, it has become both a lightning rod for debate and a beacon of possibility.
The Compassionate Intervention Debate
At the center of attention is CoRE’s white paper on “compassionate intervention”—a proposal to introduce civil commitment for people with severe addictions. The idea that someone could be placed in treatment against their will is controversial, raising profound ethical and psychological questions.
CoRE acknowledges the risks of coercion and cautions that short-term interventions often do little unless paired with robust aftercare. The paper stresses that if Alberta moves forward, it must guarantee ethical safeguards, ongoing support, and meaningful oversight. Without these protections, mandatory treatment could backfire, reinforcing trauma and eroding the very trust necessary for healing.
This careful tone reflects CoRE’s broader approach. Alongside its stance on involuntary treatment, the centre has released guidance on cannabis use in safety-sensitive workplaces and recommendations for employers to create recovery-friendly environments. Together, these publications reveal a strategy that extends beyond treatment settings into workplaces, communities, and policy circles—spaces where stigma and social barriers can be just as damaging as addiction itself.
Building an Evidence Base
Behind the scenes, CoRE is building something less visible but equally important: a comprehensive data and evaluation system.
Its first annual report highlights new performance measurement frameworks and efforts to link health and social service data across Alberta. The goal is ambitious but clear: track long-term outcomes such as housing stability, employment, relapse rates, and family reunification, then use those insights to refine policy. In a field where ideology has often overshadowed evidence, this emphasis on measurable results represents a significant cultural shift.
The provincial government has also tasked CoRE with analyzing and potentially overseeing new compassionate intervention legislation. If enacted, Alberta could become one of the few jurisdictions in North America with a formal system for mandated treatment. CoRE has not shied away from warning that such policies must be designed with great caution.
Psychologists know well that recovery is not linear—it is shaped by motivation, environment, and community support. Forcing treatment without building those foundational supports risks failure. Yet CoRE’s involvement signals that evidence and ethical reflection will have a seat at the table as these complex decisions are made.
A Global Stage
The centre’s influence is extending beyond Alberta’s borders. Earlier this year, its leadership presented at the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs, positioning the province as a contributor to international discussions on recovery policy. For a young organization, this global presence underscores how closely the world is watching Alberta’s experiment.
Challenges Ahead
Still, significant challenges loom large. CoRE must navigate political pressure while maintaining scientific independence, safeguard privacy as it expands data collection, and ensure equity for Indigenous, rural, and marginalized communities that often struggle to access care.
Perhaps the greatest test will be translating the complex, non-linear psychology of recovery into measurable indicators that satisfy policymakers without reducing lived experience to a set of statistics. Recovery is deeply personal—shaped by individual trauma, social context, and community connection. The challenge is capturing this complexity in data without losing sight of the human stories behind the numbers.
Promise and Peril
In less than a year, CoRE has made itself impossible to ignore. For psychologists and mental health professionals, the centre offers both promise and peril.
It has the potential to embed recovery science into the heart of public policy, shifting focus toward aftercare, stigma reduction, and workplace inclusion—elements that research shows are critical to long-term success. But it also risks legitimizing coercive models of care if ethical safeguards fall away under political or fiscal pressure.
The future of CoRE and Alberta’s addiction strategy will hinge on whether evidence and compassion can remain at the core of its mission. As the centre moves from planning to implementation, the psychology community will be watching closely—ready to advocate for approaches that honour both the science of recovery and the dignity of those seeking it.
Sources
- Yahoo News. Patients Need Extensive Support if Involuntary Addiction Treatment is to Succeed, Report Says. (July 2024)
- Recovery Excellence. About CoRE.recoveryexcellence.org
- Recovery Excellence. Annual Report 2024–25.(June 2025)
- Recovery Excellence. White Paper on Compassionate Intervention for Severe Addiction. (2025)
- Recovery Excellence. News & Publications. (2025). recoveryexcellence.org/news
- Canadian Affairs. Alberta’s Recovery-Focused Addiction Agency to Address Data Gap. (Aug 26, 2024)
- ABP Daily. Alberta Legislation Aims to Establish New Mental Health Corporation. (2024)
