This dark reality goes far beyond the borders of the British Columbian metropolis, underlines Connie Adams. She sees the same problems at the Telmexw Awtexw healing center, located in the community of Sts’ailes, about 100 km east of Vancouver, where she serves as an addictions counselor.
She recounts in an interview that, just before the 2010 Olympic Games, the province had loosened the purse strings for social organizations like hers.
Downtown Eastside and elsewhere who were seeking treatment.”,”text”:”To not look bad to tourists, Vancouver took the opportunity to get rid of people living on the streets. Suddenly, we received a lot of money and we were able to welcome people from the Downtown Eastside and elsewhere who were seeking treatment.”}}”>To avoid looking bad to tourists, Vancouver took the opportunity to get rid of people living on the streets. Suddenly, we received a lot of money and we were able to welcome people from Downtown Eastside and elsewhere who requested treatment.
For Telmexw team members Awtexw, which means house of medicine
in the language of the First Nation, this funding made it possible to develop an approach that made their services more accessible than elsewhere. What made them famous at the time.
Our name was very well known and respected, Connie recalls, especially since we were the only Indigenous community-based healing center in southern mainland British Columbia. But cuts that occurred after a few years forced us to abandon hosting services.
The end of this service continues to be felt to this day, as Aboriginal people who wish to receive treatment must turn either to provincially administered centers or go to one of the eight centers located in remote communities.
Supporting someone from A to Z is complex and takes time
says Sarah Kinshella, program director for Telmexw Awtexw. We offered stays that could last up to a year because the dependencies vary. And since our clientele was exclusively Aboriginal, it was a culturally comfortable environment, which is really not always the case in other centers.
There are many stories of discrimination in the health and social services system that she has heard over the years.
It was in the face of these obstacles that the center chose to implement policies facilitating access to its services, which encouraged a certain number of people to take the step towards treatment.
For example, the center does not require its patients to have a referral from a health professional to benefit from its services, cites Sarah, herself from the community of Sts’ailes, as an example.
They could also identify as Indigenous without having to present a status card proving that they belong to a First Nation.
she adds.
“ We saved a lot of time in patient care, which can make all the difference for people who need to devote all their energy to their journey. »
Even though Telmexw Awtexw no longer offers accommodation services, it frequently supports patients in their efforts to access public healing centers – the stage of treatment following detoxification.
Asking people who suffer to fill out 25-page forms makes no sense
continues Connie, who often admits to feeling drowned in administrative paperwork.
Getting help is nothing more or less than an obstacle course for the people who need it most, she denounces.
: Once someone decides to receive help, an appointment is made within about a week for a health professional to see if they are physically fit enough to go through withdrawal”,”text”:”Try to follow me while I explain because it’s complicated: once someone decides to receive help, we make an appointment within about a week for a healthcare professional to see if he is physically fit enough to go through withdrawal”}}”>Try to follow me while I explain because it’s complicated: once someone decides to receive help, we make an appointment within about a week for a professional to health sees if he is in good enough physical shape to go through withdrawal
begins the speaker.
If so, he is recommended for a place in a detoxification center and is normally able to get in a week later.
The wait is not only long, but also perilous. While waiting, it is important that the person continues to consume, minimally, so as not to go into withdrawal without supervision.
What’s more, detoxification is not cure, says the addiction counselor. When the patient is sober, he or she still needs to receive psychological and emotional support, a specialty of recovery centers. The problem is that the waiting time for these centers is often measured in months, she notes.
“ With the normal procedure, people come out of detox and return to their daily lives, still grappling with the realities that led them to use, while waiting for them to be able to find a place in a recovery center. What do you think is happening? Back to square one. »
She recommends coordinating deadlines in order to offer services on a continuous basis. To help people struggling with deep addictions, it is essential, according to the advisor.
One has no choice but to first contact the healing centers to find out the deadlines. If it’s months, we tell our clients to continue using until about a month before their appointment. Only then are they put into detoxification.
