Pubdate: Fri, 23 Nov 2007
Source: Montreal Gazette (CN QU)
Copyright: 2007 The Gazette, a division of Southam Inc.
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/274
Author: David Johnston

SERVICES SCARCE FOR DRUG-ADDICTED ANGLO YOUTH

Agency Calls For More Rehab Cash. 2 Out Of 3 Quebec Youths Referred 
For Help Score High For Attention Disorders

Two-thirds of Quebec youths referred for English-language 
drug-rehabilitation services in the past year have been found to 
score high or moderately high for problems that indicate attention disorders.

The finding is the result of a new diagnostic software tool designed 
in the United States and being used for the first time in Canada by 
the Foster Pavilion, the agency that co-ordinates public 
English-language rehab services in Quebec.

The new tool is being used by the Foster Pavilion not only to improve 
its assessment capabilities, but to help present a stronger case for 
increased public funding from the province.

New information this week that suggests higher incidences of social 
and health problems stemming from alcohol and drug abuse by Quebec 
high-school students has put into question the public sector's 
capacity to cope with mounting caseloads.

But resources in the English sector are particularly thin, even after 
accounting for population numbers in the francophone and anglophone 
communities.

The Foster Pavilion "is in the process of trying to address these 
issues with the powers that be," said Morris Kokin, the director of 
professional and rehabilitation services.

The Foster Pavilion, based on Cavendish Blvd. in Notre Dame de Grace, 
is fully funded by the Quebec Health Department. It is the principal 
taxpayer-funded agency that co-ordinates front-line rehab services in English.

On Wednesday, the Institut de la statistique du Quebec said that 
while overall recreational alcohol and drug use by high-school 
students declined to 30.2 per cent last year, down from 36.4 per cent 
in 2004, the rate of hard-core use requiring crisis intervention had 
increased to seven per cent from five per cent during the same period.

The same study found 33 per cent of francophones vs. 19 per cent of 
non-francophones had used drugs in the past year.

Treatment resources in the English sector are extremely scarce.

For example, the Centre Dollard-Cormier, the agency co-ordinating 
French-language rehab services in French on Montreal Island, has a 
staff of 25 to 30 youth workers vs. only three for the Foster Pavilion.

Dollard-Cormier has 10 emergency beds for short-term "stabilization" 
care, and a short-term residential program lasting four to five weeks.

At the Foster Pavilion, there are no emergency beds and no treatment 
options between once-a-week sessions or long-term residential care 
lasting four to eight months.

"That's an eternity for some kids," said David Ross, project adviser 
with the Foster Pavilion.

Using its new software program, the Foster found that 26 per cent of 
kids scored in the high range for attention problems, and 45 per cent 
in the moderate range.

"It doesn't mean they have attention deficit disorder," Ross said.

"But it is suggestive of problems related to attention and 
concentration, and suggestive of the need for referral to a specialist."

There are many other factors underlying drug abuse. But if you don't 
actively test for them, Ross said, then you won't find them.

"If you don't ask, people tend not to tell."

Ross added: "One of the main reasons rehab doesn't get better results 
is that assessments made at the front end often aren't picking up 
related mental-health and other problems."
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart