ALBERTA GOVERNMENT CHANGING PCHAD

Proposed legislation will keep kids in a safehouse longer, let parents
know more before making a choice

The provincial government is changing services for children who abuse
drugs.

Bill 6, introduced in the legislature last Wednesday, amends the
Protection of Children Abusing Drugs Act (PChAD), legislation that
allows parents and guardians to ask for a court ordered confinement
when the child is a significant physical or psychological harm to others.

With the legislation, children who abuse drugs or alcohol can be
apprehended and taken to a protective safe house for assessment.

Proposed amendments to PChAD include increasing the length of
confinement period for five days to 10 days, involving parents and
guardians more, addressing pressures on police transportation
services, strengthening the court order review process and allowing
the extension of a court order for an additional five days where
appropriate.

Diane Tansen, PChAD co-ordinator, said a big part of the legislation
change is giving parents an information session before they decide
their child needs to go to a safehouse.

"Some parents have expectations of PChAD and they're disappointed
because they didn't appear," she said.

An example would be some parents believe there is drug testing, when
there is no drug testing.

Safe houses currently hold about three to six children. The safehouses
are staffed 24 hours a day.

The children do learning modules on drugs and alcohol each day, and
there is recreation.

Following their time, entering treatment is voluntary.

Tansen said in a safehouse there is relationship building that
encourages children to go into treatment and she said the extra five
days will give more time for relationship building and will give more
time for AADAC counsellors to help families.

Maralyn Benay, cofounder of Sherwood Park based Parents Empowering
Parents, said the legislation is a step in the right direction, but
she would like to see more.

"If they would attach the option for mandatory drug treatment, I'd be
ecstatic," she said. "I'd do my happy dance."

She said she is pleased PChAD is extended, but she said for the
program to be effective parents should have the option of sending the
underage child into drug treatment.

"I don't meet a lot of kids that say, 'pick me I need to go,'" she
said.

She said the extended time will give a better opportunity for
assessment, and more time for staff to build a relationship with youth
to keep them away from drugs.

Benay said kids only end up in the safehouse if there is a good reason
for it.

"They do it as a very, very last resort," she said. "They're
absolutely devastated when they have to do it."

She said when kids come out of the safehouse five days later, often
not much has changed.