|
|
| Recovering home: How drug treatment courts can reconnect families |
| Family |
|
Written by Peter Jon Mitchell, a research analyst at the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada Speaking to a small, attentive audience, she described how her dad recently entrusted her with his credit card to buy concert tickets. She simply stated, “It was huge.” Though she might sound like a young teen experiencing the first taste of adult responsibility, this middle-aged woman is a recovering addict in a court supervised drug treatment program. She wanted to take her children to a concert in an effort to rebuild her relationship with them. Borrowing the card was an act of trust that means the world to her. This is the intangible success of Drug Treatment Courts (DTC) – an alternative sentencing program whose future funding is under consideration by the Department of Justice. The unravelling effect of addiction is disastrous for family relationships, causing distrust and leading to estrangement. Many people entering DTC have not spoken with family in months or years. James Budd, Director of the Ottawa DTC at Rideauwood Addiction and Family Services describes the participants in the Ottawa program as “the most difficult of the most difficult.” They are most often living in the shelter system, couch surfing or crashing in crack houses. The average participant is spending $550 a day on drugs, and is struggling with health issues including mental health concerns. In some cases, addicts burn their “last chances” with family. In other cases, difficult or abusive family situations are part of the problem. Budd suggests many participants in treatment long to rebuild relationships with family. The six DTCs in Canada operating in Vancouver, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto and Ottawa aim to reduce criminal recidivism and substance use, and improve social indicators like housing, education, employment and health. Potential DTC participants require approval from the Crown Attorney’s office and treatment specialists. A number of offenses disqualify applicants from participating, but those who are accepted plead guilty to all outstanding charges. Participants report to court twice a week, provide weekly urine analysis, and participate in a treatment program targeting substance use and criminal thinking. The program also addresses pre-existing health concerns and social issues such as housing, education and employment. Budd suggests that 29 per cent of Ottawa participants complete a minimum of 150 days which covers core treatment activities. By comparison, some sources suggest the typical 28-day rehabilitation program achieves a 15 to 30 per cent success rate. The Ottawa DTC statistics are encouraging, especially because of the severity of the challenges participants face, and the fact that they engage treatment while living in the community with the temptations that come with urban life. Budd cautions, “It is a sensitive process re-establishing contact with family members. We provide our participants with a lot of assistance, a lot of counselling, and a lot of support in facilitating that process.” Rideauwood also provides programs and support to family members. Confronting addiction, even through a court supervised program, provides a reprieve to addicts to explore their longing for family reconnection. It may not be possible or even wise to repair all burnt bridges between recovering addicts and family members, but there are profound moments in the cautious journey toward relational recovery – like earning enough trust to borrow dad’s credit card. |
