Families struggling with addictions across Canada will soon have a new kind of help available. The Family Centred  Addiction Program, based out of Moose Jaw, is an innovative residential addictions treatment program that supports not only the individual struggling with substance misuse but also their immediate family. This new program is an extension of the Family Treatment Program (FTP) started over a decade ago by Ranch Ehrlo Society. Where the FTP works with families who are struggling with addictions, it is not an intensive addictions program.

The new program hosts individual two and three suite family apartments within a secure environment that offers 24/7 on-site staff support. Individuals ready to enter recovery attend daily structured programming that combines a holistic treatment approach, not only achieving sobriety and relapse prevention, but also supports these individuals in understanding areas such as trauma, mental health, and co-dependency.

Programing will also be offered to the children and youth that are being impacted by parental substance misuse on a weekly basis. Highly trained staff will provide daily support in the family homes to assist in relationship building, parenting skills, and overall positive family functioning.

"This program was created because over the years in the Family Treatment Program, our teams have worked with several parents struggling with addictions, so this program was designed as an intensive addictions service. Individuals in the Family Addictions Programs will be focused on understanding their addictions and working through their recovery on a daily basis in a 24/7 staffed program where we can ensure the safety of the children and family members in the homes,” explained FTP director Patti Petruka.

"The staffing in this new program focus on ensuring that the children are safe at all times, despite what the parents might be struggling with,” Patti continued. “If we have a family that is really struggling with substance abuse craving at 2 a.m. when the children are sleeping, they can contact us and we come for a visit or review their relapse prevention plan and our staff can provide that immediate support.”

There will also be a mental health and addictions counsellor leading group programming and meeting one-on-one to provide mental health and addictions counselling with program participants.

"Program participants in recovery will be meeting at least once a week with the counsellor to review their recovery plans and goals and the progress they are making,” Patti explained.

The new program officially launches November 13^th with staff training. Families begin moving in November 14^th.

The Family Centred Addiction Program is open to families across Canada and has space to serve up to six families.