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News (Media Awareness Project) - CN AB: Full-time AADAC Office Could Open As Early As July
Title:CN AB: Full-time AADAC Office Could Open As Early As July
Published On:2006-04-12
Source:Taber Times, The (CN AB)
Fetched On:2008-01-14 07:41:16
FULL-TIME AADAC OFFICE COULD OPEN AS EARLY AS JULY

Come this summer, Taber will be home to a full-time Alberta Alcohol
and Drug Use Commission office.

Calgary-Lougheed MLA, and AADAC chair, Dave Rodney, made the
announcement Friday in Taber, along with AADAC CEO Murray Finnerty.

The office, which is set to open sometime this summer, will include
two employees -- a full-time counseller and an administrative support
employee, according to Finnerty.

A location has not yet been selected for the office, but Finnerty
added it could be up and running as early as July.

"We'll start with hiring right away and if we find someone and
there's a temporary space found before we can find a permanent space,
we could be here earlier, maybe by July 1. We want to get on the
ground."

AADAC already has full-time offices in Lethbridge, Brooks and
Medicine Hat.

Taber will be upgraded from a visiting office to a full-time office,
which Finnerty added will be able to serve the surrounding
communities as well.

"It is an outpatient clinic," Finnerty said of the Taber office. "It
will offer local outpatient service, but if there is a need for
intensive treatment or residential care, there will be a referral
service in place."

Those referrals could include the Lander Treatment Centre in
Claresholm, youth intensive/residential programs in Calgary or
Edmonton or an adventure program near Calgary.

Finnerty added AADAC is looking to expand treatment facilities beyond
Calgary and Edmonton, and added an announcement is expected in the
weeks to come.

It is an announcement which stems in part from the recent financial
support for AADAC contained within the provincial budget.

"We got a $20 million increase from the government, which is
substantial. This is the very first announcement here in Taber."

According to Finnerty, the selection of Taber for the first
announcement came about due to the community's work in drug
prevention strategies over the past few years. Finnerty was in Taber
earlier this year as the Taber Community Against Drugs coalition held
a day-long drug conference. He added community partnerships are key,
since AADAC can't win the battle against drugs on its own.

"Taber was identified as one of our priority list of community areas,
but it came to the top of the list with all of the community efforts
you guys have in place. If you can move into a community that already
has its act together, that is a win-win situation for us."

According to Rodney, the Taber office will offer individual, group
and family counselling, along with programs to increase understanding
and awareness of drug-related problems. He added the office will also
focus on assessment, counselling and referral services, along with
distributing educational materials and consulting with other
community groups to address prevention strategies and early
intervention.

He added AADAC viewed the upgrade to the Taber office as a positive
step in the right direction.

"It's really important to everyone at every level of AADAC that
people have access to the services they need as close to home as
possible."

The office is to operate from Monday to Friday, from 8:15 a.m.-noon
and 1-4 p.m.

"Opening this new office is about working together to make Taber a
better and healthier place to live," added Rodney. "We will work
together towards our goal of helping Albertans achieve freedom from
the harmful effects of alcohol, other drugs and gambling."
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