Pubdate: Mon, 18 May 2009
Source: Advertiser (CN NF)
Page: 8
Copyright: 2009 Advertiser
Contact:  http://www.gfwadvertiser.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3453
Author: Jackie Thompson

RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOUTH TREATMENT CENTRE

Dear Editor:

Wherever the Youth Addictions Centre is placed, individuals will have 
to travel. Does it not make more sense to have the services centrally 
located to make access more readily available to clients and their 
family members? Would travel to Grand Falls-Windsor from the western 
or northern parts of the island not be easier and cheaper than having 
to travel to the Avalon?

Grand Falls-Windsor is a centrally located service area for the 
island part of Newfoundland. The Exploits Region offers many 
amenities and is attractive to professionals as it is a wonderful 
area in which to bring up a young family. Not everyone wants to 
reside on the Avalon. We need to enhance the already existing 
professionals and facilities that are currently in central.

We, as service providers, know full well that central has a high 
percentage of drug use and violence amongst young people. With the 
recent economic downturn, we anticipate an increase in the need for 
stress-related services to all families.

Presently the closest inpatient program for youth is Nova Scotia or 
New Brunswick. Often the youth who require the services that are only 
available in St. John's, find the travel too much of an obstacle and 
therefore they aren't part of the statistics that are being quoted on 
Avalon. The aboriginal youth of our area deserve treatment facilities 
closer to home.

Recently, many of the professionals in our area received training 
given by the Janeway. Psychologists here started the team approach to 
mental illness by involving social workers and other partners when 
dealing with crisis situations and therefore the existing medical 
services in the Grand Falls-Windsor area are not as congested as 
those in St. John's. We have four CYN Centres in our area and the 
Youth Addictions Centre in Grand Falls-Windsor would provide a great 
opportunity to broaden existing services.

It is a known fact that there are many homeless youth in our central 
region, couch surfing as they drift between the homes of friends. 
Affordable housing for youth might be another service that could be 
placed in Grand Falls-Windsor to be a supportive service for the 
Youth Addictions Centre.

Status of Women Central is a feminist, equality-seeking organization 
dedicated to the empowerment of women through advocacy, education, 
provision of services, implementation of special projects and direct 
lobbying on issues critical to the advancement of women's equality 
and inclusion. The members of Status of Women Central strongly 
support the building of the Youth Addictions Centre in Grand Falls-Windsor.

Jackie Thompson

Regional Co-ordinator Status of Women Central Grand Falls-Windsor
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom