Highlands and Islands SNP MSP Dave Thompson visited Beechwood House on Friday and said his call had confirmed his opinion that the emergency Designated Place for people dealing with the effects of substance abuse must be put on a secure footing.
Dave Thompson called for serious talks between public agencies which refer people to the centre about how its running costs can be met following Highland Council's decision to cut £200,000 from the funding package the local authority currently provides.
"This visit has reinforced my view that we cannot afford to allow this facility, one of only two of its type in Scotland, to face closure," he said after meeting staff at the centre on Friday afternoon.
He added: "I also met three clients and, from chatting to them, it couldn't have been made clearer how valuable the centre has been to their recovery. One young guy even said it saved his life.
"The others said they didn't know where they would be without Beechwood and that was just three clients there on the day I called; there are about 900 overnight admissions per annum."
Mr Thompson noted that Beechwood, which is run by the Crossreach voluntary organisation, and its Designated Place is an integral part of a recovery process which helps people suffering from the effects of substance abuse to be reintroduced to mainstream society.
"Later they are offered support at the rehabilitation facility at Beechwood and then at Osprey House, where they can relearn the skills they will need to support themselves at home," he added. "But before they can reach that stage, many find themselves in a crisis situation and need the type of emergency support that Beechwood offers. It is a crucial part of the process and to lose that, the rest falls away."
Many people admitted to Beechwood are referred by Northern Constabulary and Mr Thompson called for the police force to join Highland Council's social work department, NHS Highland and Crossreach to took at ways of ensuring the threat to the centre's funding is lifted.
"These organisations, which are all involved in the operation of Beechwood, need to work together to ensure this temporary problem does not affect the future of this important centre," he added.
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