Community Healing Program

There are multiple advantages to offering a healing and recovery program right in the community rather than sending community members to outside treatment programs. Many people don’t want to leave their children and families behind when they go to a treatment facility and this actually stops some people from even entertaining the thought of getting treatment. If we look at healing in a holistic manner it is important to recognize that an individuals problem becomes the families problem and the families problem then becomes the communities problem. In order to facilitate an all-encompassing approach to addictions recovery it is important to work with the individual, the family and the community all at the same time. Far too many people go to treatment programs numerous times only to return to their community and relapse in a very short time period. There are many reasons for the high relapse rates; there are few resources or programs that are available to the individual once they return to their community so relapse is almost imminent. Also, many families have unrealistic expectations on the returning individual and this can also play a significant role in relapse, this is why it is so important that the family be an integral part of the healing and recovery process. One of the biggest hurdles the client will face is the past issues that were instrumental in the addictions advancement was not dealt with while the client was in an outside treatment facility. My colleagues and I believe it is time for a change in the way addictions recovery is addressed among First Nations individuals, their families and their communities. We also believe this approach will help First Nations peoples experience long term sobriety and there will also be a direct benefit to their families and their communities alike. It is time for a change in direction in order to reduce the suffering that First Nations peoples are experiencing from the ravages of ongoing addictions and addictions related issues. Addictions recovery is a huge task and in order for it to work in a positive way for a larger number of people it is imperative that the individual, the family and the community be included in the recovery process.