A SAFE PLACE TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS

Cathy was addicted to cocaine, and was severely malnourished and
suicidal.

Sarah was a crack and heroin addict who one day sat in the middle of
a busy street, waiting for a car to hit her.

Wendi was a chronic alcoholic who was often thrown in the "drunk
tank" and got beat up.

Now, the three women are crediting an Abbotsford program for giving
them hope for the future.

They are among those involved in a new initiative at the Peardonville
House treatment centre for women. The Stabilization and Transitional
Living Program began Oct. 2, based on a program that has operated for
the past year out of Kinghaven Treatment Centre for men.

The program has been fondly named Mollie's Place, in honour of Mollie
Kissock - a member of the pioneer Peardon family, a neighbour of
Peardonville House, and a long-time supporter of the facility.

Kissock said she was honoured to have the program named after her,
and said she believes strongly in the work that Peardonville House is
doing.

"I think everybody has to have a chance to bring their life back to
its full potential," she said.

Patty Zaruk, resident co-ordinator of Mollie's Place, said the
program provides a valuable option for women wanting help for their
addictions.

"The concept behind this program was to create somewhere safe for
women to come who aren't quite ready to get into mainstream
treatment," she said.

Zaruk said there are several reasons why someone might not be ready
for more-intense treatment.

For one, the structure of a full program might be an overwhelming
concept for them. For example, they might not be able to endure four
hours of group sessions, she said.

Another reason is that they might be newly diagnosed with or have an
ongoing medical condition - Mollie's Place has a doctor on staff -
and require their medication to become more stable.

A third reason is that they might not be sure that they are truly
ready to get clean.

Zaruk said Mollie's Place provides them with the support they need to
come to their own decisions, in their own time, without the pressure
of outside influences.

The program is open to up to six women at a time, and residents stay
on site for up to 90 days. They can leave at any time.

If they stay, they then have the option of joining the regular
Peardonville House program. This would amount to a total of 5 1/2
months in treatment.

Mollie's Place is more informal than the regular treatment program.
Residents go on daily walks, participate in discussion groups, attend
outside meetings and enjoy leisure activities such as knitting,
quilting, yoga and shopping.

Women are referred to the program by their drug and alcohol
counsellors or other professionals. The five women currently
participating in the program all say they find the small group
structure to be more comfortable than a larger setting.

"It's such a small group so we can talk about anything," said
Heather, who has been in the program for just over three weeks.

Wendi said the group has formed tight bonds.

"It's taught me to talk to people and make friends, which I've never
been able to do before," she said.

The women have all struggled with different forms of addiction over
the years. Some have been through treatment programs before, but two
are "rehab virgins," as Cathy puts it.

She credits Mollie's Place with saving her life.

"I was pretty close to death when I came in here."

Cathy said she used cocaine to self-medicate her undiagnosed bipolar
disorder. She arrived at Mollie's Place three weeks ago, after
enduring detox, and it was there that Dr. Elizabeth Watt diagnosed
her condition.

She has since been placed on medication and gained 21 pounds on her
previously skeletal frame.

"I've never felt better in my life. I love being here," Cathy said.

Wendi, too, is new to rehab. The mother of a four-year-old daughter
has been an alcoholic for the last five years and had become
suicidal. She plans to move on to the regular program at Peardonville
House.

"I'm doing this for my daughter and myself," she said.

Heather is among the women who have previously been in treatment. She
became addicted to heroin and crack after her mother was murdered by
her stepfather in 2002.

She now has a six-year-old and a three-month-old who were removed
from her care, and she is determined to get them back.

Heather said Mollie's Place has been instrumental in helping her face
some of her issues, including her struggles with bipolar disorder.

"I'm learning how to trust people," she said.

Sarah, too, has a child - a 2 1/2-year-old son - who is not in her
care. She turned him over to her uncle and his wife, and now is
focused on staying clean and reconnecting with her son.

"I'm very hopeful and I'm very grateful for this place," she said.

Sue said she, too, is hopeful for her future, now that she has found
Mollie's Place. She has been addicted to many substances over the
years - most recently, prescription drugs - and has been through
rehab, but always for other people, she said.

This time is different, she said.

"I want to make sure I really clean up this time - for myself."

The women all acknowledge that being out in the real world again will
present challenges that could result in relapse, but they said
Mollie's Place is giving them the tools they need to cope better.

"I feel much better about getting clean this time, and I'm glad I'm
here," Sue said.

Zaruk said Mollie's Place does not pressure anyone to take a specific
direction in their life.

"It's not up to me to make the decisions about their life. I want
them to have a safe place where they can make those decisions," she
said.

"When the time is right, they will make the right decisions."