Pubdate: Sat, 15 Jun 2002
Source: Guelph Mercury (CN ON)
Copyright: 2002 Guelph Mercury Newspapers Limited
Contact:  http://www.guelphmercury.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1418
Author: Joanne Shuttleworth
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

WOMEN'S DRUG TREATMENT FUNDING WELCOMED

Stonehenge Community May Get Operating Cash As Well, Mpp Says

GUELPH -- In handing over a cheque for $106,794 to the Stonehenge 
Therapeutic Community -- money that will be used to furnish a new 
women-only drug addiction treatment facility in Guelph -- Guelph-Wellington 
MPP Brenda Elliott hinted there could be more money to come.

"I know it's not a lot," said Elliott of the one-time capital funding from 
the Ministry of Health and Long-Term care, "but I'm pretty sure operating 
funding will be coming along too."

Administrators and members of the board of directors all breathed a sigh of 
relief at receiving the money, which was presented at the Westwood Road 
facility Friday.

It had long been their dream to open a drug addiction centre dedicated to 
treating women only.

Their current facility on Hwy. 24 between Guelph and Cambridge, established 
in 1981, is co-ed.

"Treatment for men and women is completely different though," said Jennifer 
Myles, clinical director of Stonehenge.

She told of one female client trying to kick a crack addiction, who entered 
the programme while she was pregnant with her fourth child.

"She gave birth while in the programme and staff were her birthing 
partners. She came back and completed the programme and is doing really 
well right now," Myles said.

It's success stories like that that earned Stonehenge the nod of approval 
from the Ministry of Health, Elliott said.

"We want to help people so they can help themselves, not just keep them on 
welfare," Elliott said.

The philosophy of Stonehenge is to teach life skills to residents at the 
same time as tackling the bigger issues around addiction. Residents clean, 
do laundry, cut grass and shovel snow in addition to the group and 
individual counselling they receive.

"On a basic level, everything around them must be in order to get their 
lives in order. So hygiene, putting dishes away and doing laundry are all 
part of the therapy," Myles explained.

"When you immerse them in that for six months, it's a good start."

It's also a good start for their children and that will be the next phase 
of the women's programme -- to add cribs and child care so women with kids 
won't be separated from them.

"Some women don't get help because they are afraid of losing their kids to 
Family and Children's Services. Also it's hard to be apart from their 
children for six months," explained Steve Pierce, executive director.

Women are coming to the Guelph location for some of their sessions already 
but Stonehenge expects to have the residential component up and running in 
the fall.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom