Mental Health and Addictions Program ‘Moving Beyond Addiction’ Opens in Peterborough

Right to Heal, a local not-for-profit organization, will run ‘Moving Beyond Addiction’ and Redpath programs over a 16-month period announced Monday.

From left to right: Randy Mellow, chief of Peterborough County-City paramedics; Dave Smith, member of Provincial parliament for Peterborough-Kawartha; Peggy Shaughnessy, Whitepath Consulting founder and president; Tim Farquharson, acting Peterborough Police chief; David Smith, member of Provincial parliament for Scarborough Centre; and the Hon. Michael Tibollo, Minister for mental health and addictions. Photo by Felicia Massey.

Through a $367,480 investment from the Government of Ontario, 320 people in the community will receive the program’s services.

Clients will undergo an evidence-based assessment once referred to determine the correct treatment for their needs. The assessment will consider multiple variables including trauma, abuse, domestic violence, housing status, financial situation and severity of the substance abuse. Once the assessment is complete they will enter into one-on-one counselling and/or the Redpath Intervention program.

Redpath programs use a combination of clinical and cultural approaches while focusing to create a healthy mind, body and spirit.

The intervention program consists of 21 three-hour-long counselling and training sessions in both community and institutional settings. Clients will then enter an aftercare program where they will complete two hours a week of group training sessions that focus on personal development and a full reintegration back into society.

“The Redpath services bring wellness and recovery home (to Peterborough) and will add to what is currently being provided in the City”, said Peggy Shaughnessy, Whitepath Consulting founder and president. “It’s very exciting as a developer of the Redpath model to be home.”

Those referred to this program will typically be unhoused/at risk of homelessness and suffering from mental health and addiction issues. The Elizabeth Fry Society will administer the referral process, enabling the funding for the pilot to flow fully to program services. The program will also accept family and self-referrals.

Right to Heal will work in collaboration with these specific prioritized target populations:

1. Peterborough Police, Peterborough County-City Paramedics and Peterborough Regional Health Centre refer clients who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing opioid overdoses.

2. Health and social services referring clients from places such as the Consumption and Treatment Services/Opioid Response Hub, Brock Mission, Cameron House and One Roof Community Centre.

Last year, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith announced $500,000 in annual funding to expand detox services at Fourcast.

Earlier this year, the Peterborough Opioid Response Hub opened with $1,350,000 in annual funding.

“Overdose deaths continue to rise in Peterborough. It’s a crisis that affects families and loved ones across our community. It is clear that more treatment spaces are needed; we need to expand services and lower barriers of access if we want to address this crisis,” said Dave MPP Smith. “Moving Beyond Addiction will save lives. It is a proven program that will help those struggling with addiction move beyond addiction and reintegrate back into society.”

Debbie Carriere is an example of Redpath’s success, having taken the program 15 years ago.

In 2006, the mother of three worked as a psychologist at Central East Correctional Centre and was working towards her Ph.D. when she experienced a traumatic life event that would trigger trauma from her past.

Over the course of nine months after this Carriere abused substances and was arrested, eventually ending up in a psychiatric hospital in Jan. 2007. After returning to Peterborough she met Shaughnessy and began the Redpath program.

Carriere is now the executive director of the Elizabeth Fry Society.

“I needed help, I needed something different, and it literally saved my life,” said Carriere. “It really saved my life and it saved the lives of my children.”

Visit Ontario.ca/MentalHealth or call 2-1-1 to access help and learn more about publicly available mental health and addiction supports in Peterborough.

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