In anticipation of Guelph’s consumption and treatment services (CTS) closing at the end of March, a new drop-in program has launched for people who are actively using or are in recovery.
Without these services people will be isolated, leading to more deaths, said Tonya Evans, Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo-Wellington (CMHA WW) peer navigator with lived experience. The closure is part of what prompted her to start the group because she knew more people would be needing support.
Redefining Addiction. Reclaiming Our Dignity is a drop-in support group from the CMHA WW at 80 Waterloo Ave. Meetings, which happen Tuesdays at 6 p.m., are hybrid so people can join online. It started in February but took a brief hiatus due to winter weather and is ramping back up again. It had its first meeting on March 4.
The group is about dignity and dropping the stigma around substance use.
Evans appreciates the help given to people with traditional 12 step programs for drug and alcohol use but wanted another option for people. The inclusive non-judgmental space is for people who are in different stages of their journey, and can be actively using, in recovery, trying harm reduction or looking for support from people with similar experiences.
“We’re complex people,” she said.
CMHA has a similar drop-in called Abstinence Not Required Substance Use Support where people talk about their journeys.
The new group is focused on destigmatizing and normalizing substance use. There can often be guilt and shame around substance use, but with this group, there are no expectations, rules or pressure.
Evans’ goal is to redefine addiction so people can see it holistically. She said health and substance use organizations use the words substance use health instead of addiction, because it’s on a spectrum like mental health.
Since starting in her role at CMHA in 2018, she’s seen a lot of change in the mental health and substance use landscape, with declining mental health becoming more common and substance use more impacted by the toxic drug supply.
“We’re losing the harm reduction pieces which save lives,” said Evans. She said the CTS closure has been on group participants' minds, and called it scary, politically charged and disheartening.
“People do voice that there's nowhere to go, and so people will now isolate even more and be alone even more and that's how death happens more,” said Evans. There are fewer safe spaces where people can be with their community.
She hopes the group grows so more can form.
“It'd be great to build on it and get more people out and reach as many people as possible that are struggling that can benefit from these types of spaces.”