Help is on the way for those struggling with addictions in the Drayton Valley area. Opportunity Home, the community’s first addictions and treatment centre, is set to open in the coming weeks.
Opportunity Home will offer a 90-day program aimed at providing a safe and clean place for people to go through recovery from addictions and prepare for reintroduction into society. The bulk of the renovation work on a property located at 5219, 53 Avenue is now complete. Brett Pequin, executive director, says the aim is to be open and accepting clients in either December or January.
Opportunity Home is privately funded as a non-profit organization. It’s based on a similar program, known as Freedom’s Door, that has been successfully operating in Kelowna for close to 20 years. It will offer a faith-based program based on the 12 steps used by Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.
“The 12 steps are like walking up a stairway. We help them walk that ladder over 90 days,” Pequin says.
Opportunity Home is currently licensed to house 10 individuals. Pequin says he hopes to see that number increase to 16 within the next year. Currently the plan is for the facility to be open to men only, however, women will also be offered support.
“We won’t turn women away,” says Pequin, “We’ll help them find residency somewhere else.”
Opportunity Home will provide housing and hot meals along with skills training and mental and physiological support to those recovering from addictions
Clients will be required to be clean and sober before being admitted to Opportunity Home and to remain so while they’re with the program. In exchange they will receive the support and encouragement needed to give them a chance to turn their lives around.
Pequin said those dealing with an opioid addiction can get help through Alberta’s Virtual Opioid Dependency Program, which offers same day opioid transition treatment and ongoing opioid dependency care.
“They can get treatment immediately. Our pharmacists in town are very knowledgeable about it.”
For Opportunity Home to be successful Pequin says it’s important to have the support of the community. Program treatments costs are around $2,200 per client per month. Sponsorships and donations from the public are very welcome. The clients Pequin expects to be using the program will largely be drawn from Drayton Valley’s homeless population. That group is often seen as marginalized and separate from the rest of the community. However, Pequin says that the vast majority of local homeless were born and raised here and need the support from their home town.
“To me the measurement of a just society is the ability to take care of its weakest and most vulnerable,” he says. “It’s the community that actually helps the residents. If the community doesn’t embrace it, it won’t get done.”
Not all addicts are homeless. However, those who are often have undiagnosed physical or mental health issues.
“This will be used by people who are struggling and help them become productive members of society again,” says Opportunity Home’s assistant director Rita Moir.
Those entering the program will be required to commit to remaining on the premises for the first 30 days of their treatment. They’ll also be expected to help out with a variety of chores. Moir says the program is very structured and the aim is to help people reintegrate into society and gain a sense of purpose.
In order to get things up and running Opportunity Home is looking for donations of a number of items. That includes single beds and mattresses in good condition, new pillows and protectors, sheets and comforters, men’s socks and pajamas in new or good condition, bath towels, laundry soap, toilet paper and bottled water.
Financial contributions are also welcome.
Moir would also like to hear from any community members interested in volunteering their services to help Opportunity Home’s clients. She can be reached at 780-542-0988.
