SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAM OFFERED IN MANY LANGUAGES

Help is on the way for people with drug and alcohol problems.

Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society (PICS) announces the
beginning of a drug and alcohol counselling program.

This one-stop centre will assist people dealing with drug and/or alcohol
dependency by providing counseling. A certified counsellor will provide
counseling for individuals, groups, families, children and adult children
of alcoholics and drug addicts.

These services are for individuals of any age, financial and cultural
background.

Counseling will be provided in English, Punjabi and Hindi and proper
provisions will be made to refer culturally sensitive individuals to
appropriate places.

Other services that will also be provided include anger management,
conflict resolution and a community re-entry program.

The approach that will be used is the "bio-psycho-social-spiritual" and
client-centered approach. By using this holistic approach, PICS expects to
be able to deal with other troublesome aspects of an individual's life.

There will be a mutually agreed upon treatment plan designed for
individuals by keeping in mind their beliefs, values and traditions.

"Our program will be culturally sensitive and appropriate," said Charan
Gill, executive director of PICS. "We are responding to community needs and
will focus on preventive measures."

The program will also include a thorough follow-up and after-care program.
The counsellor will encourage a 12-Step program with prevention through
educational and anger management workshops.

For more information, call Maninder Bajwa at 604-596-7722.

The Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society is located at 109,
12414-82nd Ave., Surrey.