Abstract
Approach: The residential addictions treatment program provides a 90-day in-house treatment home-like setting. The program is client-centred and trauma-informed using group and individual one-to-one counselling sessions. It encourages clients to learn how substance use impacts their lives, relationships and overall well-being through a variety of holistic and therapeutic techniques. Self-identified recovery goals are established through the delivery of group sessions, addictions support counselling and community engagement.To address the other health and social care aspects of each client, integrated care partnerships are secured with community-based partners to support overall health and wellbeing. Partnerships with other local community-based healthcare agencies allow for access to primary healthcare. This is vital because the majority of clients are unattached to family physicians when they arrive at the program despite the stage of their recovery journey and the chronic diseases they are experiencing. The local pharmacist plays a critical role in the recovery journey ensuring appropriate access to opioid agonist therapies, which are opioid addiction medications and treatment, as well as medications to address other medical conditions. In addition, partnership with external mental health agency allows for access to both a psychiatrist and partnership with other community based treatment clinics allows for virtual access to an addiction medicine physician. Lastly, public health offers access to a Hepatitis C clinic.Integrated care approaches with internal Street Haven social care programs are also offered to treatment client including training to vital life skills such as how to successfully maintain your rental unit, financial literacy and cooking skills. In addition, access to the agency mental health and trauma team ensure that clients have ongoing access to one-one treatment to psychotherapists who can provide customized treatment regiments to address factors influencing addictions. Another vital support is assisting homeless and other housing insecure clients towards greater housing security, and this includes access to social assistance, employment supports and searching for affordable housing.Who involved: This program is designed and implemented in a manner that allows clients to co-design their daily programming and treatment. Because the program is focused on overall health and wellbeing as well as on addictions recovery, programming is designed and customized to the needs of the clients in residence. Clients have an opportunity at the start of their treatment to express interest in programs that touch on all aspects of overall health and wellbeing. This includes music and art therapy, cooking, gardening, meditation and yoga.
Results: The residential addictions treatment program has seen a variance in the graduation rates, ranging between 40% and 85% of clients. Graduates regain a sense of empowerment and understanding of their addiction and life goals, have enhanced social networks through their relationships, have improved mental health and have improved physical health as a result of access shelter and nutritious meals, and access to medical care, and health promotion and wellness activities. The program has a decreased prevalence of acute withdrawals among clients. Clients are able to seek employment, income security and housing security. Clients regain important social networks to support continued recovery.
Implications: For highly vulnerable women with addictions challenges an integrated health and social care approach must be taken to ensure success in their recovery. The focus on treatment must also be accompanied by care that targets the overall medical, mental health, and social care aspects of clients. The future of the program is to continue to expand programming to serve significant demand in the City. Another important focus is to create housing programming that is accompanied with ongoing recovery treatment and supports for women who are homeless.