SUBSTANCE ABUSE CENTRE OPENS

The Tsow-Tun Le Lum Society, which operates a substance abuse and
trauma treatment centre in Lantzville, was recently inspected by the
Canadian Council on Health Accreditation in Ottawa.

It is among the first five first nations treatment centres in Canada to
achieve this status under the council's First Nations and Inuit
Addiction Services Accreditation Program.

"The society board and the staff of the centre are proud to receive
this recognition of our standards of care, service and results," said
executive director Charles McLaughlin, in announcing the award.

"It was a demanding process that enabled us to present for independent
assessment our expertise and specific programs that address the unique
needs of aboriginal people."

The Canadian Council on Health Accreditation is the main accreditation
body in Canada for health facilities, such as hospitals and nursing
homes.

In 1999, the council instituted a process through which first nations
addiction treatment centres could achieve accreditation.

The process took approximately eight months, and involved detailed self-
assessment against the council's standards; review of that
documentation, and an on-site assessment for several days by council
staff.

Tsow-Tun Le Lum's accreditation is for three years.

Tsow-Tun Le Lum announced in January that it had received more than
$400,000 from the Aboriginal Healing Foundation in Ottawa in support of
its program Qul-Aun (Moving Beyond the Traumas of Our Past).

This residential program-guided by elders and meshing therapeutic and
traditional healing methods-addresses the causes of the addictions,
behaviours and relationship problems that result from trauma. The
residual effects of trauma are a major legacy of residential schools.

The centre also offers a substance abuse treatment program.