Walk looks to help eliminate stigma associated with addiction
WALK PART OF NATIONAL ADDICTIONS AWARENESS WEEK
More than two dozen people gathered on the steps of city hall on Thursday morning to bring awareness and end the stigma for people fighting addiction.
Bundled up in winter attire, they walked to Galt Gardens, sharing their message that there is hope for people to overcome addiction. Some held signs that read “Support. Don’t punish,” “Sober is sexi,” or messages of inspiration for sobriety and recovery.
This week marks National Addictions Awareness Week. The city’s inaugural National Addictions Awareness Week Walk was hosted by McMan Youth, Family and Community Services Association Mobile Addiction Outreach Initiative.
“It’s about raising awareness about the issue of addiction as well as trying to eliminate the stigma associated with addiction,” said Brittany MacMillan, who works with the Mobile Outreach Initiative and helped organize the walk.
“I think if we can eliminate the stigma ... then more people may feel comfortable to ask for help or understand the services that are out there to help them.”
The walk was inclusive of all who wanted to attend including industry professionals, friends and family of those affected by addiction, and those in recovery or still dealing with addictions to drugs, alcohol or gambling.
Some who took part are staying at the city’s South Country Treatment Centre.
MacMillan said she wanted it to be a collaborative event as it often takes a community of health professionals to work together with abstinence, harm reduction and prevention programs.
McMan’s Mobile Addiction Outreach Initiative works as the “middle man” to connect people, especially those with multiple barriers or complexities, to the addictions services they want, whether it be harm reduction, residential treatment, sober living programs, detox, counselling, 12step programs, smart recovery groups, or access to opiate agonists.
“It’s a completely voluntary program, so they have to want the addictions service,” said MacMillan. “We try to mitigate all of the barriers associated with accessing mainstream treatment services, so we will help with completing treatment applications, help with finding funding for treatment centres, phone calls, transportation to the centres.”
As a mobile unit, they travel to different areas of the city and meet with clients from many different agencies.
At any given time MacMillan works with up to 25 clients within different stages of their treatment plans. But that doesn’t include the greater connections through their outreach programs and consultations with clients through other agencies.
“There’s lots of need,” she said. “I think there’s still lots of gaps to fill in our community. But we’ve got so many passionate people, passionate agencies working in our community that I foresee those gaps being filled in the future.”
One of those is the supervised consumption site which is currently under construction, she said, which will make a big difference for the community.