Pubdate: Sun, 10 Jun 2007
Source: Morning Star, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2007 The Morning Star
Contact:  http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1352
Author: Stacie Snow

CONCEPT DRAWS MLA's INTEREST

A Vancouver MLA brought a message of hope to Vernon on  Tuesday as he
proposed a solution to drug addiction,  homelessness and mental illness.

Vancouver-Burrard MLA Lorne Mayencourt said it is time  to crack down
on B.C.'s drug addiction problem by  incorporating the long-term
solutions of an Italian  treatment community.

Mayencourt travelled to central Italy over a year ago  to visit San
Patrignano, a unique community that  incorporates a holistic approach
to drug addiction and  provides a supportive environment where addicts
can  live and completely overcome their vices.

"In B.C. we have 1,000 recovery spaces for addicts  where they receive
a week of detox and 28 days in  treatment," said Mayencourt.

"Then they are put right back in the harmful  environment they came
from and within the first 30  days, 85 per cent of them fail and we
wonder why."

Mayencourt strongly believes that a treatment community  like San
Patrignano will be more effective in dealing  with the addiction
issues than previous B.C. government  initiatives.

He is in the preliminary steps of creating a  privately-funded
treatment centre 30 kilometres  southwest of Prince George. Baldy
Hughes, a former  radar station, is equipped with a dormitory, mobile
home pads, a service station, welding and woodworking  shops, a
bowling alley, curling rink and gymnasium, a  sewage treatment plant,
roads and a fire department.

"This is the best place in the world for me to start  something like
this," said Mayencourt. "This is  something we can be doing to get
better outcomes for  people, while allowing them to reach their
potentials  and make this province a better place.

"I am going to work my heart out."

He is currently drafting a business plan for the site  and hopes that
it will be operational in 2008.

"I don't see this as a daunting task," said Mayencourt.

"I know what can be done when people are passionate  about something
and I have been getting an incredibly  warm response to this."

Gord Molendyk of the Vernon Safe Communities Unit of  the RCMP was
intrigued by the idea of a secure living  environment where the
individual builds relationships  and skills.

"It is a very interesting concept," said Molendyk. "The  guests are
working there and running it and that gives  them something that is
their own. It is a huge part of  the healing and growing process."

Fran Jasiure works for the Women's Dew Program, an  addiction
treatment program in conjunction with the  Family Services of Greater
Vancouver. She said that the  idea of long-term programs is refreshing.

"We can appreciate the idea of helping people for more  than a month
because we see the results of short-term  and we know it doesn't
work." she said.

"This community approach seems much more effective."

San Patrignano has been operating in Italy for 30 years  and has
assisted more than 10,000 people. The centre is  currently helping
more than 2,200 guests on three  campuses. According to Mayencourt,
the treatment centre  has a 75 per cent success rate.

Fifty guests are admitted every month on a voluntary  basis and are
welcome to stay for three to five years.

The individuals receive treatment and are then placed  into a
community environment where they are trained and  given a job in
various fields.

"It is beautiful to see them working in a setting to  bring their life
back to normalcy," said Mayencourt.

"They make everything from wall paper, to gift baskets,  wine and even
racing bicycles. It's how they know they  are worth something."

The community is completely self-sufficient with a  school, hospital,
day care, housing, farms and  factories. The products created at the
centre are sold  in high-end retail stores around the country and all
proceeds are put back into the community.

Mayencourt is confident that this initiative can  succeed in reducing
the number of addicts and  homelessness people in B.C. where
government programs  have failed in the past.

"It is time to try something new to address the  problem. Let's get
out of the box and take a chance and  deliver hope to people," said
Mayencourt.

"We need to prove to the government what this kind of  program can do
for the province and everyone in it."
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MAP posted-by: Derek