drug addiction rehabilitation program for adolescent - portage beaconsfield, quebec
DESCRIPTION
A general description of the Portage Quebec substance abuse treatment program for adolescents in Beaconsfield. www.portage.caTRANSCRIPT
Substance abuse rehabilitation program for adolescents
Portage Beaconsfield, QC
I have the right to be happy and to be treated with care and understanding . I have the right to be safe . I have the right to say what I feel
"For me, Portage is not just a place, a name...it’s a chance to save yourself. It’s the beginning of the end...the end of our suffering, the start of a new life. Portage gives us another chance at life, to express ourselves openly and honestly, another chance to be happy. Portage gives us hope for our future and takes away the pain of what we have lost in the past. You just need to believe to get there. As the slogan says, only you can do it, but you can’t do it alone." - Audrey, 15 years old
Testimonial
I have the right to be happy and to be treated with care and understanding . I have the right to be safe . I have the right to say what I feel
• Drug addiction in Québec• Portage rehabilitation programs• Therapeutic Community Approach• Video – Portage in Québec• Adolescent Program
Summary
I have the right to be happy and to be treated with care and understanding . I have the right to be safe . I have the right to say what I feel
• Average age adolescents start doing drugs on a regular basis: 13.91
• Illegal drug abuse related costs in 2002: $1.6 billion2
• 95% believe that that youth today have easy access to drugs3
[1] L’Enquête québécoise sur le tabac, l’alcool, la drogue et le jeu chez les élèves du secondaire, Institut de la statistique du Québec, 2008 [2] Cross-Canada Report on Student Alcohol and Drug use, CCSA, October 2011 [3] Quebecers and Substance Abuse, November 2010
Drug addiction in Québec
I have the right to be happy and to be treated with care and understanding . I have the right to be safe . I have the right to say what I feel
• Québec (since 1973)• Adolescent Programs• Adult Programs• Mother and Child Program• Mentally Ill Chemical Abusers Program (MICA)• Employment Reintegration Programs
• Ontario (since 1985)• Adolescent Program
• Atlantic (since 1996)• Adolescent Program
• British Columbia (since 2009)• Adolescent Program
Portage across Canada
I have the right to be happy and to be treated with care and understanding . I have the right to be safe . I have the right to say what I feel
• Treatment approach based on• self-help• mutual support• peer role-modelling• reality therapy• motivational interviewing• cognitive behaviour
• The community is the therapist• Residents are taught to shape their own values,
develop a realistic perception of their lives, and build self-respect and self-confidence.
Therapeutic Community Approach
I have the right to be happy and to be treated with care and understanding . I have the right to be safe . I have the right to say what I feel
• Voluntary admission• Highly structured and safe residential environment
• Residents acquire competencies through• Participation in groups and activities• Taking on various roles and responsibilities• Interacting with their peers, who serve as role models
Therapeutic Community Approach
I have the right to be happy and to be treated with care and understanding . I have the right to be safe . I have the right to say what I feel
VideoPortage Québec
Residential Addiction Rehabilitation Programs
I have the right to be happy and to be treated with care and understanding . I have the right to be safe . I have the right to say what I feel
• A participant often demonstrates the following characteristics:• Started using drugs as young as 10 or 11 years of age• Lost interest in school and usually not attending regularly• Has been abusing drugs and/or alcohol for approximately 4
years – primarily marijuana, hallucinogens, cocaine and opiates
• Alienated from family, and may no longer live at home• Often involved in criminal activities
Portrait of Portage’s Adolescent Clientele
I have the right to be happy and to be treated with care and understanding . I have the right to be safe . I have the right to say what I feel
• Residential drug rehabilitation centre• Residential program – up to 6 months• Aftercare follow-up – 2 years
• For youth (14-18 years) from Western Québec• Gender-specific programming
• Portage Academy• On-site school programming through the Lester B. Pearson
School Board
• Family-type setting within the therapeutic community• Structured and safe residential
environment
Adolescent ProgramOverview
I have the right to be happy and to be treated with care and understanding . I have the right to be safe . I have the right to say what I feel
• Eliminate abusive consumption of drugs/alcohol• Develop skills and acquire social aptitudes• Improve interpersonal skills and family
relationships for better social support system• Social reintegration: back to school, work, or
volunteer work
Treatment Objectives
I have the right to be happy and to be treated with care and understanding . I have the right to be safe . I have the right to say what I feel
• Youth learn that trust and honesty is the key to coming to terms with the difficulties they have experienced.
• By sharing with their peers, they discover they are not alone and that many have experienced similar situations.
In the Portage Community
I have the right to be happy and to be treated with care and understanding . I have the right to be safe . I have the right to say what I feel
• Step1: Welcome and integration into therapeutic community
• Step 2: Competency acquisition• Step 3: Introspection and application• Step 4: Taking on responsibilities• Step 5: Validation of acquired therapeutic skills
and plan for social reintegration (family, school, work, activities)
• Step 6: Social reintegration
Program Phases
I have the right to be happy and to be treated with care and understanding . I have the right to be safe . I have the right to say what I feel
• Created with the resident upon admission and revised monthly• Objectives and plans for drug issues, physical
health, mental health, personal development, social skills, family, education, etc.
• Competency development phases• Length of stay based on individual need• Monthly case conferences
Individualised Treatment Plan
I have the right to be happy and to be treated with care and understanding . I have the right to be safe . I have the right to say what I feel
• On-site school programming, adapted to residents’ needs• Sports and recreational activities• Career counselling service• Community involvement• Weekend outings• Parent/resident groups
Programming
I have the right to be happy and to be treated with care and understanding . I have the right to be safe . I have the right to say what I feel
• From 6:30 am to 9:00 pm• Morning meeting• Therapy groups• Activities and workshops• Lunch• On-site school programming at Portage Academy• Dinner • Night meeting
A Typical Day
I have the right to be happy and to be treated with care and understanding . I have the right to be safe . I have the right to say what I feel
• Preparation for social reintegration• Reintegration visits with family• Support seeking appropriate school environment • Support seeking counselling; individual, group counselling
services• Support seeking housing• Career planning and company visits
Social Reintegration
I have the right to be happy and to be treated with care and understanding . I have the right to be safe . I have the right to say what I feel
• Follow-up for 2 years to support youth in transition • Relapse prevention• Follow-up phone calls• Support groups • Individual counselling, if necessary• Back in touch visits• Employment counsellor and job search strategies• Guidance counsellor services• Continuum of Care
Aftercare Services
I have the right to be happy and to be treated with care and understanding . I have the right to be safe . I have the right to say what I feel
• For those who, for whatever reason, do not complete residential treatment• 2 years• Periodic telephone calls, tailored to individual needs• Individual meetings, where necessary• Eventually, participants can return to residential therapy at
Portage or elsewhere, if necessary
Continuing Care
I have the right to be happy and to be treated with care and understanding . I have the right to be safe . I have the right to say what I feel
• Family reunification groups• Support groups• Family Days
• Transition planning to create a strong support network• When reintegrating back into the family, establishing
expectations in the home and providing support to both youth and their families
Family Services
I have the right to be happy and to be treated with care and understanding . I have the right to be safe . I have the right to say what I feel
• A dynamic and multidisciplinary team• Drug addiction counsellors, psycho-educators, nurses,
teachers, employment and guidance counsellors, and other resources
• Responsibilities• Ensure the physical and psychological safety of residents• Supervise, support, counsel, and assist with learning and
new competency acquisition• Monthly treatment planning sessions, weekly follow-up• Parent/guardian/agency contacts via telephone and/or
Portage Beaconsfield Staff Team
I have the right to be happy and to be treated with care and understanding . I have the right to be safe . I have the right to say what I feel
• A research study on Portage’s services (2003 to 2008) concluded that:• 66% of the adolescents who spent more than six months at our
centres were still abstinent more than a year after leaving the residential program.
• After treatment, the majority of graduates go back to school or back to work
• The majority enjoy improved relationships with their family members and develop a positive social network
Results
I have the right to be happy and to be treated with care and understanding . I have the right to be safe . I have the right to say what I feel
"I like to compare the beginning my recovery to being in a dark, hollow, damp hole with a tiny opening shining one microscopic beam of light down into it. The speck of light was almost invisible and insignificant but it represented hope. Humans can survive days without water, months without food, but not a second without hope. As I progress in my recovery and begin to accomplish what I once thought was impossible, the speck is widening and the hole is drying out and becoming brighter. Pretty soon I'll be able to hoist myself up, climb out of it once and for all and emerge into my newfound reality."
- Ema, 17 years old
Testimonial
Substance abuse rehabilitation
centre for adolescents
Portage Beaconsfield
514.694.9894www.portage.ca