A new women-only recovery centre has been approved (Jan. 25) by the B.C. government and will have its official opening in the summer of 2024.
The centre will occupy the same space as the New Roads Therapeutic Recovery Centre in View Royal and will have space for 20 beds, said Cheryl Diebel, centre director.
“The program itself, in terms of length of time, is nine to 24 months. We’ll be serving women who have severe addiction issues,” said Diebel.
The centre will cater to women who have been unhoused, have mental health concerns or have had interactions with the criminal justice system.
This is similar to how the men’s centre operates but takes into account the subtle differences women face when it comes to escaping dangerous situations, she said.
“The opportunity to do this for women is just phenomenal because there isn’t any long-term treatment for women on the island.”
Before the centre was approved, there were no long-term recovery options on the Island, which would mean any women who have an addiction would have to leave their homes and sometimes families behind.
“A lot of the women will already be disconnected from their family because of their addiction. And if you move them off the Island, it’s a further disconnection.”
New Roads Recovery, which is a part of Our Place Society, aims to help unhoused individuals and people suffering from severe drug addictions and mental health issues by providing community support and outreach.
“We can build on what we’ve learned in the men’s program that we’ve been building now for five years. And I think it reflects what our agency has done.”
There is a lot of support for the new centre among the recovery community, said Diebel, as the men in it will often talk about their significant others suffering from the same situation.
“They talk about their moms, their girlfriends, or sisters who have addiction, so for them, they’re committed to this too. So it’s full circle.”
READ MORE: View Royal addiction recovery centre to support 330 men with B.C. fund