The guest speaker for April 13, 2015, was Mrs. Carol Tracy, Director of Development Portage Atlantic Foundation.
The Portage organization is a not for profit organization founded in 1970 in Montreal, Quebec and opened its first centre in 1973. Portage currently operates not-for-profit residential treatment centres in Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick, British Columbia and also welcomes clients from other provinces.
Portage Atlantic is a non-profit organization founded in 1995. In 1996, it opened a residential rehabilitation centre for adolescents on the shores of Cassidy Lake, near Sussex, New Brunswick. Over the years, more than 1,600 youth from New Brunswick and other Atlantic provinces have been treated at the 64-bed substance abuse rehabilitation centre...
Portage Atlantic provides an integrated program to help people who are suffering from substance abuse to seek freedom from addiction. Based on the therapeutic community approach, the program stimulates personal development that teaches residents how to overcome their substance abuse problems take back control of their lives. The Portage Program for Drug Dependencies Inc. is one of North America’s leading organizations in the treatment of drug abuse. Based on the therapeutic community model, Portage provides a particular type of living experience that strives to rehabilitate, educate and reorient participants so they can develop a new drug-free way of life.
The Portage Program treatment approach emphasizes self-help and the creation of family-like support systems. Using several therapeutic techniques, including role modelling and group counselling, Portage staff teach participants to shape their values, develop a realistic perception of their lives and increase self-respect. It is designed to respond to the individual needs of the participants. Through case management and personalized treatment planning, residents learn to identify their problems and develop the skills and competencies to address them.
Once a person leaves the Portage Program, they then become members of the Aftercare Program. This phase lasts up to two years and provides bi-weekly community-based support group meetings facilitated by a Portage staff member. Upon returning to the world, their newly acquired values and behaviours are challenged and put to the test. Aftercare is therapeutic community-based with one youth supporting another. There are also family support meetings for the parents.
Carol also introduced a project Portage Atlantic is currently working on. The Lewis Fitness Centre started through the generosity of a private donation for $750,000. The Board is now in the process of fundraising to secure an additional $800,000 for the new facility.
Rotarian Don Dow thanked Carol and her team for their talk on the Portage Atlantic facility and available programs. Don presented representatives of the Portage Atlantic with a token of the Club’s appreciation for their message.