A free drug and alcohol recovery program for men and women begins in March at the Salvation Army in Williams Lake.
The non-residential intensive eight-week program runs from March 6 through April 28, with participants in a classroom from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Salvation Army family services co-ordinator and outreach worker Tamara Robinson said addictions are something the Salvation Army sees every day.
"Some of our clients are dual diagnosis so they have addictions as well as mental health issues," she said.
People with addictions in Williams Lake can travel to access the Salvation Army's Harbour Light Treatment Centre in Vancouver, however, sometimes the wait is between six to eight months, she said, noting other treatment centres can be very costly.
"We looked into one last week and it was $7,500 for 28 days," Robinson said. "The average Joe or people with jobs cannot even afford that."
It is important to offer recovery in communities where people can stay at home, she added.
A main core of the recovery program is "psycho educational" group therapy which refers to the education offered to individuals with a mental health condition to help empower them and deal with their condition in an optimal way.
Within the program there are also opportunities for one-on-one counselling, and spiritual development if the client wants to participate, as well as a focus on volunteering, fitness, creative arts, music and peer interaction, Robinson said.
Fourteen seats are available.
"People have to be committed to attend all of the program and if someone misses too many days, they will be asked to leave," said William Smith, who is the program's facilitator.
Any information shared within the group is confidential and no one can be under the influence of drugs or alcohol because the integrity of the group will be compromised, Smith said.
Robinson said the program is comprised of four parts.
They include understanding the influences of alcohol and drug abuse and how it effects morals, values, attitudes and beliefs.
The second part examines addiction itself — the characteristics and stages of it and how it impacts a person's daily life.
"Part three focuses on the healing journey from an addictive life style," Robinson said, noting Smith will provide insight and awareness into what it means to live a healthy life style. "Participants will be provided tools to live a balanced life in their every day life."
Recovery will be the final focus, along with developing a plan to prevent a relapse.
"We can just do the best we can," Smith said, noting the opening line of the course states: "It's all up to you, only you can decide."
"They have to really want to do it. I can't make them quit, the family can't make them quit, it's a decision they have to make for themselves and then make a commitment."
Smith arrived in Williams Lake in November and has been offering drug and alcohol counselling one-on-one. He was an army chaplain for many years and also served as a prison chaplain.
In the program Smith will also cover the dangers of fentanyl, he said.
"We have seen traces of fentanyl trickling in and want to fire it in the rear end before it gets spread too far," he added.
Robinson said one of her clients smokes marijuana only, yet when he was tested there were traces of opioids found in his system.
"It's a known fact there's fentanyl in marijuana and that's scary," she said.
The deadline for applying to take the program is Friday, Feb. 24. People can call Robinson at 250-392-2423.