drug addiction rehabilitation program for adolescent - portage beaconsfield, quebec

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


• Drug addiction in Québec• Portage rehabilitation programs• Therapeutic Community Approach• Video – Portage in Québec• Adolescent Program

Summary


• 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


• 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


• 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


• 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


VideoPortage Québec

Residential Addiction Rehabilitation Programs

http://www.portage.ca/qc/portage-quebec


• 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


• 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


• 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


• 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


• 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


• 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


• On-site school programming, adapted to residents’ needs• Sports and recreational activities• Career counselling service• Community involvement• Weekend outings• Parent/resident groups

Programming


• 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


• 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


• 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


• 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


• 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


• 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

email

Portage Beaconsfield Staff Team


• 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 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

drug addiction rehabilitation program for adolescent - portage beaconsfield, quebec

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