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Many people applying for the methadone program often assume that being on methadone will
take care of their life problems.
Sometimes it does. Some clients have the support and resources to make positive, satisfying
changes with no additional support. Many of these clients lack life skills, sufficient
income, and positive support from family and friends. For these clients, counselling can
greatly assist in guiding them to take positive action on their own behalf.
Our counsellors are trained to deal with a variety of issues related to addiction, ranging
from early recovery issues of social and financial stability to later issues of employment
and the decision to withdraw from methadone.
After years of addiction, many clients have trouble meeting even basic needs for food, shelter
and financial support. Counsellors can help access free or low-cost food options, make plans
and access resources for better housing, and assist with some welfare difficulties. In addition,
our counsellors are qualified to complete the Assessor portion (part B) of disability Applications.
Once a client has achieved physical stability and has dealt with any acute medical concerns,
counsellors can help them explore their reasons for using and assist them in finding healthy
alternatives to meet their needs. This is done by gently exploring social and emotional issues
that led to drug use.
Relapse prevention and management are an exceedingly important aspect of counselling, where
clients learn to prevent future substance abuse and to minimize damage caused when relapse
occurs.
Not all issues clients bring to us are directly related to addiction. We also assist clients
with relationship problems, emotional management, stress reduction and employment issues.
Counsellors are ethically bound to maintain client confidentiality but there are a few exceptions
to this.
If the counsellor considers you a physical danger to yourself or others (e.g. knows that
you are hurting or will hurt somebody, or if you are suicidal), then a report must be made
to the appropriate authorities.
Apart from these exceptions, a court order or a Ministry of Children and Families demand,
a counsellor needs your permission to release information to anybody other than yourself. If
you are unsure that the issue you're sharing can be kept confidential, ask us.
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