Fresh Start understands the need to facilitate treatment quickly. Good treatment builds better employees.
Fresh Start Recovery Centre, founded in 1992, and selected as the number one treatment centre in Canada in 2014, 2013 and 2010, also ranked in the top 3 since 2006, by the Fraser institutes Donner Awards Program as a result of successfully delivering treatment, housing and support to people recovering from the disease of addiction.
With the success rate four times higher than the industry average we have been fortunate enough to build many positive relationships across the country. For us, success means helping men achieve and maintain abstinence while living healthy, happy and productive lives.
The ultimate goal for all of us is to return these individuals as productive members of families, business, and contributing members of society.
When an employee is in the disease of his addiction you can expect
5x more WCB/WSIB claims
3x more absenteeism
3 x more late arrivals at work
When an employee is in recovery you can expect
Mental focus, higher productivity and better work habits
Overall health improvement
Sense of well being
In 2012 Fresh Start opened its new purpose built 40,000 square foot, 50 bed treatment centre in Calgary. The building was designed with features to support all aspects of recovery: Physical, Mental, Emotional, Psychological and Spiritual including a meditation room to allow for a wide variety of spiritual practices including smudging. The facility was built to address a growing need demonstrated through our large and growing wait list.
Fresh Start operates a total of 78 beds; 50 Primary treatment beds, 10 in second stage housing with supports and 18 in third stage housing with supports as part of a progressive approach to integrating people in recovery back into community living.
Program
Core 12-Step Program
12- 16 week, abstinence based live in program includes daily individual and group counselling sessions throughout the course of the program. This is reinforced with enhanced recreational and therapeutic activities conducted in an atmosphere conducive to physical, emotional, mental and spiritual growth. The peer support component of our program runs parallel to our core treatment model of integrated chronic care. We employ the 12 Step abstinence model of recovery as our base for treatment and this is supported within a bio-psycho-social model of therapy.
While in group the participant will explore various topics which include but are not limited to:
Working and understanding the 12 steps and 12 traditions
Addiction as a chronic brain disease and the underlying signs and symptoms
Understanding crisis periods and what to do
Relapse prevention
Stress management
Letting go and the grieving process
Healthy boundaries
Physical recovery
Family Healing Program
During the recovery process, each individual creates a comprehensive and personalized recovery strategy alongside his counselor. This strategy comprised of 12 key areas is reviewed regularly with their counselor. The key areas are as follows:
A recovery plan
Mental and emotional well being
Spiritual well being
Intimate relationships
Family relationships
Social relationships
Physical health and well being
Employment/training/education
Legal status
Financial management
Housing status
Hobbies/entertainment/creative activities
Beyond the core of our regular program, each individual is required to attend a minimum of four 12 step meetings a week, and is expected to work with a sponsor and join a home group while residing at Fresh Start. Fresh Start has created and implemented a very introspective and successful approach to every individual’s recovery process. A personalized case management plan is created following the initial assessment in order to create clear, measurable action steps underpinned by goal setting strategies. Every individual seeking recovery wants far more than to simply be clean, they want a life worth living and they want to clean up the wreckage of their past. Strong goal setting strategies throughout the individual’s recovery process shines a light forward, infuses hope and gives them a future they can look forward to.
After-care
We employ an interdisciplinary approach to treating addictions with the core of our treatment program based on the 12 Step approach. In all of our work, we remain constant to our core values: equality, empathy, trust, accountability, support, change, respect and individuality. We provide Bi-weekly check ins with an outreach counsellor and was as we have a strong alumni network.
PROGRAM COSTS
Fresh Start Recovery Centre provides affordable treatment for Canadians while providing exemplary service.
Fresh Start's group completion rate average is between 80% - 85% with 55% of men remained clean and sober one year later.
Please contact lisa@freshstartrecovery.ca for an employer infomation package including rates.
Your gift changes lives.
We rely on your time, talents
and contributions to help men
on their road to recovery.
I am an alcoholic. I drank alcoholically all the time. That is an excellent name for my condition. It helps to know the name of the problem, but it does not fix it. I have to have a spiritual awakening to fix it, and I can achieve that by doing the steps. The steps have one promise and one promise only. The result of these steps is a spiritual awakening. That will fix the alcoholic problem.
I suffer from Narcissistic Injuries all the time. That is an excellent name for my sensitive nature. Narcissistic Injury – a psychological term - taking personally utterly indifferent and objective events. I do that when my sense of self is fragile and when I depend on life going my way all the time. It helps to have a name, but that does not fix it. I have to do something to fix it.
Having a name for something, especially a problem is beautiful. It just helps. It can steer to the correct treatment or solution. Or at least away from the wrong remedies or solutions.
But it does not fix the problem, fixing requires action.
I am an alcoholic. I drank alcoholically all the time. That is an excellent name for my condition. It helps to know the name of the problem, but it does not fix it. I have to have a spiritual awakening to fix it, and I can achieve that by doing the steps. The steps have one promise and one promise only. The result of these steps is a spiritual awakening. That will fix the alcoholic problem.
I suffer from Narcissistic Injuries all the time. That is an excellent name for my sensitive nature. Narcissistic Injury – a psychological term - taking personally utterly indifferent and objective events. I do that when my sense of self is fragile and when I depend on life going my way all the time. It helps to have a name, but that does not fix it. I have to do something to fix it.
Taking the steps fixes alcoholism. What fixes Narcissistic Injury? I have only found one solution to these injuries, and that is service. Service in AA, service in life, service at home, service with my children, service - a specific action that will benefit someone else. And that starts with a thought, thinking about the people around me, looking assiduously for something that would help them, make things easier for them, fill a need of theirs. To be thoughtful about someone other than me. That alone might solve the problem, but no, the action is necessary.
Like the Cub Scout helping the lady across the street, thinking about it will not be enough. I have to stop, go out of my way, offer assistance, listen carefully to make sure the old broad wants to cross the street, then extend my arm and help her with the traffic. Complex, but simple.
Doug M. offers service by cleaning sinks where ever he is. Hotels, coffee shops, locker rooms and his own bathrooms at home all benefit from his attention. Service. Chris helps a wheelchair-bound invalid with visits and errands. Service. David volunteers to open up a meeting. Service.
I buy flowers for my wife. Service, maybe, it could be self-interested thoughtfulness.
I have seen self-centred judgmentalism in myself and many of the fellows I work with over the years. It shows up in my inventories. It is a defect of character that manifests itself most strongly in Narcissistic Injuries. The only solution is service; at least that is the only solution I have found.
I am humbled daily by the courage of others who despite their fears make a choice to live in the solution. This is why I continue to work at Fresh Start Recovery Centre, I have seen people make these changes and am grateful to be a part of this bigger process.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What is your own background with Fresh Start Recovery?
Jennifer Kent-Charpentier: I have been involved with Fresh Start for over 10 years now, I have been a part of the addiction counselling team from the start of my employment.
Jacobsen: How did you find them and become involved with them?
Kent-Charpentier: I was at a social event and someone was asking me about my work experience and unbeknownst to me a gentleman was walking by and stopped when he heard me talking and asked about my work history. He introduced himself as Stacey Petersen and stated he was the Executive Director of Fresh Start Recovery Centre, he suggested I forward him a resume as he was looking for new employees. I had been working in addictions for quite some time and when my husband and I decided to start a family I took several years off to raise our children. I was thinking about working again however I was not convinced I wanted to get back into working in addictions as I had spent many years already in the field. Turns out I had a friend who worked at Fresh Start and I asked her opinion about the validity of sending over my resume. She told me that if Stacey suggested it, it was sincere. Honestly, I hesitantly sent my resume as I knew Fresh Start was a men’s only facility and I had never worked exclusively with men and really didn’t know if I wanted too. Shortly after I submitted my resume Stacey called me for an interview and before I was a block away he offered me a job and the rest is history.
Jacobsen: When you reflect on your own life, what lead you to an interest and life involvement with Fresh Start Recovery?
Kent-Charpentier: It was sheer coincidence, or serendipity, perhaps both. I believe that the universe set me on the path I am on today. Any hesitation I may have had was quickly relieved when I got to witness the work that was happening at Fresh Start. The staff were and still are compassionate, mindful, aware, not hiding behind policies, timelines and agendas. People are treated with kindness and respect not shame and intimidation. We not only work with the person that struggles with substance use, but we work with families and community because we know that everyone deserves healing.
Jacobsen: Regarding your own position as the program director, what tasks and responsibilities, and difficulties and enjoyments, come with the position?
Kent-Charpentier: The Program Manager is responsible for coordinating and providing structure and guidance to the counseling team, assisting counseling team with individualized case management, group therapy & bio-psychosocial assessment services including group & family counseling for residents/participants within the facility. The biggest difficulty is the tragedy of the lives lost to the disease, this never gets easier. However, the joy of seeing someone recover and reconnect with themselves and their families is wonderful.
Jacobsen: What are some ways people can become involved and help out with Fresh Start Recovery?
Kent-Charpentier: There are a lot of ways to become involved and help out. The best thing to do is contact these two staff: Nicole@freshstartrecovery.ca and Wayne@freshstartrecovery.ca. Wayne is the Director of Fund Development and one of Nicole’s responsibilities is volunteer coordinator.
Jacobsen: What are some of the heartwarming stories that you have come across in your time at Fresh Start Recovery? What has been one of the most drastic, positive life turnarounds that you have seen in your time there?
Kent-Charpentier: There are so many wonderful stories involving men and just as many that are about family and friends. Every story starts with one person who feels hopeless and lost but with the help of a recovery community, treatment, education and renewal of their faith, amazing changes occur for everyone. Sometimes the most beautiful changes involve someone learning how to set healthy clear boundaries for themselves and others, and really understanding that they are not alone. This is beautiful to witness in others when they find hope and an inner strength to keep moving forward.
Jacobsen: Any final thoughts or feelings in conclusion?
Kent-Charpentier: I am humbled daily by the courage of others who despite their fears make a choice to live in the solution. This is why I continue to work at Fresh Start Recovery Centre, I have seen people make these changes and am grateful to be a part of this bigger process.
On February 14, 2013 I updated my Facebook status to say how good life was and how lucky I am to have met the man of my dreams and how grateful I am for having two healthy beautiful kids. Just three short hours later, my world came crashing down when I learned that my husband was addicted to methamphetamines.
On February 14, 2013 I updated my Facebook status to say how good life was and how lucky I am to have met the man of my dreams and how grateful I am for having two healthy beautiful kids. Just three short hours later, my world came crashing down when I learned that my husband was addicted to methamphetamines.
How could I miss the signs that were mounting over the past year? I felt so alone. Who can I talk to? Who would understand this mess? I felt i couldn’t talk to my friends or my parents for fear of their judgment. I felt like I had nowhere to turn.
We found some help for my husband John at Fresh Start. This was the beginning of his journey of treatment and recovery. For me, I found myself stuck in the thoughts of anger, blaming and resentment. I heard about a program there called the Family Healing Program and decided this was MY next right thing. It was a game changer. I learned about the disease of addction and how it impacted me and my life. I met others who were having similar feelings as me. I made some friends in that group and I realized that I was not alone. I learned that John‘s addiction was not my fault and that there were other support programs like Al-Anon to help me, and others like me, learn to take care of themselves. John just celebrated five years of being clean. For me, I am doing my work on my codependency and healing. We are both still growing and our relationship is better than it’s ever been. Our two young daughters are looking forward to swapping cards with the two most important valentines in their life, their mom and dad. If you wish to help this Valentines day you can Click to donate . Thank you!
