The main differences between public and private treatment centres are duration, cost, wait time, staff/client ratio and aftercare.

Duration – There are varying durations with treatment centres across Canada. The most common range from 21 to 60 days.

Cost – Most government-funded treatments do have costs, but the costs can be based off the income of the client or what the client can pay, be it part of their employment income, assistance check, unemployment income, etc.

Wait list – Most private treatments do not have any waiting list. As per our research, government-subsidized treatment centres have on average a 4 to 12 week wait list. In some cases, the wait can be up to a year.

Staff ratio – Most often, private treatment centres have better clinical staff/client ratios than public centres.

Aftercare – With private treatment the length and involvement of aftercare for each type of treatment is personalized to the clients needs. Good advice would be to ask your potential treatment facility what type of aftercare programs they offer.