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.
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MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.