LOUD Recovery Volume 50

On Thursday March 10th, Westminster House hosted an Alumnae Appreciation Tea Party. The event was open to all alumnae, and offered tea & coffee, desserts, free giveaways sponsored by Amazon Charity, and a door prize. Westminster House is very blessed to have such an amazing and vibrant group of alumnae. They are integral to our community of recovering women and the social recovery model our facility has adopted. We were so pleased to see familiar faces at the event! It proved to be a great opportunity for them to reconnect with their "Westie Besties" and build new relationships with other women in recovery.

We are very excited to announce that the WHS 50/50 Raffle for Recovery opened on March 25th. This year we will be putting raffle proceeds toward the expansion of our aftercare program. We are currently developing a program for clients further along in the continuum of care that includes longer-term, solution-focused recovery housing and other supports such as a meal program, utilities, toiletries, and linens. Providing aftercare is essential to giving our clients the best odds for achieving long-term recovery. We need the support of our community to help women complete this full continuum of care and successfully re-integrate back into society as healthy, happy, and productive members. Please support us by purchasing a ticket! Prices are 1 for $10, 3 for $25, or 15 for $100. To purchase your tickets, click HERE or scan the QR code below.

Westminster House and the Last Door are running for a cause! They are joining the Recovery Gnome Project's Team "Recovery n' Motion" for the 50th annual BMO Vancouver Marathon. The Recovery Gnome Project is a grass roots movement founded by family members with loved ones in recovery. RGP encourages the creation and placement of "Recovery Gnomes" in communities across Canada (and beyond!) to celebrate recovery and to inspire conversation, learning, and hope. This year BMO generously donated 100 spots to RGP for their recovery team to participate in the sold out 8km run. To prepare for the big day, Westminster House and the Last Door have even been training together every Sunday morning. Our goal is to have a presence in one of the world’s top destination marathons that resembles a "sea of recovery". So come on out May 1st 2022 and cheer us on. See you at the finish line!

Eager to be a part of in-person events again, Westminster House enlisted as an exhibitor at the Vancouver Wellness Show on March 26 & 27. There was a great turnout at the show, with many attendees stopping by the Westie booth to talk recovery, learn more about our services, or get a complimentary massage from WHS Staffer and Alumnae Moe. WHS Program Manager Asha Altun even took the stage on day two and gave a compelling talk on how wellness and spirituality are such an integral part of recovery. Yoga, meditation, fitness, Qi’Gong, and acupuncture are just a few of the wellness modalities WHS incorporates into its addiction treatment program.

Families and advocates of youth addicted to illicit drugs are divided over whether minors should be forced into so-called secure care to stabilize them before longer-term voluntary treatment could be provided. Laws vary across Canada for what amounts to involuntary detox for minors who are sometimes detained through the emergency department following an overdose. Angie Hamilton, executive director of Families for Addiction Recovery based in Scarborough, Ont., said many youth with a concurrent mental health condition lack the capacity, at least temporarily, to consent to initial care but parents can’t step in on their behalf. That creates a deeper crisis for families prevented from making potentially life-saving decisions for those who reject treatment, Ms. Hamilton said. “You have to sit around and watch them self-harm, maybe to death ”...READ MORE

The employee of the month is recognition to the employee who goes above and beyond the call of duty. This month we would like to recognize Jessica W. Jess has been a pleasure to have on the team. Her energetic, upbeat presence and positive attitude have been a real treat to have around. She is somewhat new to Westminster House, but her eagerness to learn and willingness to step up whenever and wherever needed has not gone unnoticed. We appreciate her dedication to the House and helping our youth girls reclaim a drug-free existence. So thanks for all your hard work Jess - from all of us at Westminster House!

Congratulations to all the women who celebrated clean time for the month of March. We like to stay apprised of everyone's clean time milestones, and it's inspiring to see so many WHS Alumnae living their best life. Congratulations to all!

During March WHS clients participated in an art therapy session that invited them to create visual representations of different parts of themselves so that they could better understand their "inner landscapes". These visual representations, or "soul collage cards", were a great exercise in self-discovery and creativity. The session encouraged clients to use their right creative brain rather than the more analytical thinking left brain. Participants were instructed to choose images from magazines that resonated with feelings in their body to include in their collages. Each client then ended up sharing about their collage card to their partner, who in turn wrote a poem for them based on their interpretation of the other's card.