Pubdate: Tue, 20 Mar 2012 Source: Regina Leader-Post (CN SN) Copyright: 2012 The Leader-Post Ltd. Contact: http://www.leaderpost.com/opinion/letters/letters-to-the-editor.html Website: http://www.leaderpost.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/361 Author: Kerry Benjoe, Leader-Post FEDS FUND NEW WOMEN'S PROGRAM Thanks to more than half a million dollars in federal funding the Salvation Army will be able to assist women recovering from addiction. Capt. Robert Sessford said he couldn't be happier to be able offer the service in Regina. The Salvation Army Regina Waterston Centre is receiving over $500,000 in Homelessness Partnering Strategy funding to place women taking part in the Regina Drug Treatment Court program in a supportive residential facility. The two years of funding will go toward operating costs and the new women's program. At the end of the two years, the Salvation Army will compile a report asking the question 'Does the provision of a supportive supervised residence increase the rate at which women graduate from the drug treatment court program?' Sessford expects the 10-bed facility to be fully operational by May. "The women will not be residing at our (Waterston) facility on Osler Street," he said. "That is a maleonly facility and has been since it opened 1957 and we don't have room to establish any type of new program for women, rather the program will be established in another building in the city." He said the location of the new facility will not be made public. "It is a building owned by the Saskatchewan Housing Corp.," said Sessford. "We're going to basically manage that property for Sask Housing so that we will be able to facilitate a supervised, supported, living environment." He said the Salvation Army's responsibility is to act as both landlord and residential advisers. "We will be hiring staff so that the place is supervised all the time," said Sessford. "We will also be doing what we can to facilitate consistent attendance at drug treatment court. That means making sure the women are getting up on time, establish good habits (including) sleeping habits and lifestyle skills. We will be driving them to and from the program." The Salvation Army's assistance doesn't end after the women complete the course. "Our workers will be working with them to help locate suitable, independent living accommodations," said Sessford. "They won't have to leave our supervised property until they have obtained suitable accommodations. We want to make sure that part of what we do is transition them into their own safe living accommodations, because for most of these women they have been unable to attend the drug treatment court because the pre-requisite of attending the drug treatment program is that they have access to a suitable, stable living environment." He said the program will provide women with an opportunity to break out of their lifestyle and become healthy and independent. "We are grateful for the opportunity to provide this service for the people who need it so desperately," said Sessford. The new program will be the Salvation Army's second women's program in Regina the other program is the Grace Haven-Gemma House. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.