Pubdate: Mon, 21 Feb 2005
Source: Beacon, The (CN NF)
Copyright: 2005 The Beacon
Contact:  http://beacon.optipresspublishing.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3279
Author: Shannon Quesnel

SUPPORT FOR DRUG REHAB GLENWOOD SITE: OFFICIAL

After all the support that was phoned in on a radio morning talk show, Dan 
Morand is even more convinced Glenwood has the right facility for a 
Christian-based drug rehabilitation centre.

"I want that spot and I am not budging," said the provincial director for 
Teen Challenge.

"I was on Open-Line Thursday and oh my goodness, no exaggeration, we 
fielded close to 100 calls. The phone rang off the hook and it did not stop 
ringing."

Many of these calls were ones of support. However, not everyone picked up 
their receiver to phone in their pledge.

Partly due to some residents opposed to the idea, the Town of Glenwood had 
a special closed-door meeting Wednesday to weigh the pros and cons of the 
program setting up in the community, said Glenwood Mayor Janet Shaw. The 
program's proposal is to use a hangar formerly owned by Canadian 
Helicopters that is two kilometres away from the centre of town.

She said that meeting's outcome won't be known until the town's regular 
Wednesday council meeting this week.

Mr. Morand said the program would turn the hangar and the land around it 
into a facility that could house about a dozen or more clients, staff and 
workshop areas. When asked how much it would cost to convert the hangar, he 
couldn't say, only offering that Teen Challenge receives much of its 
funding through donations.

He also said he did not know what sort of decision the town needs to make. 
He will have to wait, along with everyone else.

"Mayor Shaw said she's going by the book."

Several Glenwood residents were contacted about their resistance to the 
program. One said 276 Glenwood citizens signed a petition that did not 
support the idea.

Glenwood resident Derrick Richards said that at one public meeting with Mr. 
Morand, there was a handout that stated Teen Challenge does not accept men 
with pending criminal charges.

Mr. Richards said a centre Web site contradicted that. The Prairie Hope 
Centre had a posted a testimonial from a student, describing how he entered 
the centre while still on bail, that had a long remand period. The young 
man had yet to be tried.

Another man's testimonial stated he faced an eight-month jail sentence, but 
was allowed to enter the program.

Mr. Morand said that's just nitpicking.

He said the Prairie Hope Centre was an organization that was formed before 
it joined the larger, international group of Teen Challenge.

Mr. Morand said while the prairie centre had to change its rules before 
joining, it still practises it's own style of helping its clients. That 
facility is also located 45 minutes away from the community.

He said the same could be said for some other Teen Challenge centres. While 
many share the same rules, a centre might run itself a bit differently, 
depending on the demands of the community and province's laws and bylaws.

Mr. Morand said the paper handed out at the meeting only states what the 
central Newfoundland centre would be about.

"For here, from my own personal experience, we would not accept (clients) 
who are on parole, or on bail or anything like that. To me that doesn't 
show the right reasons for people coming into our program."

Critics have also said Glenwood does not have the law enforcement and 
medical resources to deal with the program's clients and the community is 
too small to offer the clients anonymity.

On one of the addiction program's Web sites it states, applicants are 
required to pass a medical exam and a police criminal record check before 
being considered.

While some in Glenwood oppose the idea, when the program was considering 
Gander for a locale, there was nary a peep from that town's population.

No problem Teen Challenge had looked at Gander's former youth assessment 
centre, but later abandoned the idea after a deal fell through to buy the 
building from the province, said Gander District MHA Kevin O'Brien.

However, that wasn't the case for the community of Manuels.

Teen Challenge once considered the town an ideal site, but turned away when 
it faced opposition. Program officials have said they would not set up in a 
community if there was enough opposed to it.

While on the radio Thursday, Mr. Morand said he was overwhelmed by support.

Mr. Morand said people called in from all over the province, asking that 
Teen Challenge not leave. Some people even offered their community as a 
home base for the drug and alcohol rehab program.

"I welcome the tremendous support, but we are committed to be in central 
Newfoundland. But it is nice to get phone calls to say that you are wanted."

He added that before last week, many were quiet about how they felt about 
the program, but now they are becoming more vocal.

"I think (people) were a little fed up about a very small group, but a very 
loud group," that opposes the idea, he said.

He said some residents are also planning to hold a motorcade rally on 
Saturday morning in support of the rehab centre.

Over the past month, two meetings were held to inform the public about Teen 
Challenge. The first did not see a large turnout, so a second meeting was 
held at the town's school gym. There, residents got the chance to question 
Mr. Morand about the program.

Some residents said some of the director's responses to their questions 
were not clear.

Mr. Morand said resistance is not uncommon.

"It's been a painful process we have to go through, every place we go," he 
said.

He said if Glenwood does not work out, there are other communities which 
have expressed interest in Teen Challenge.

Started up in the U.S. in the '50s, the organization offers its male 
clients, ages 18 to 45 drug rehabilitation through education and spiritual 
guidance. It has seven locations in Canada and 560 worldwide.

As stated on its Web site, some of the program's hallmarks include its high 
success rate with its clients, with up to 80 per cent remaining drug free 
after graduation. It does not receive any government funding and is 
supported by individuals and in-kind corporate donations.
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MAP posted-by: Beth