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The concept of establishing a

detox centre in Terrace is begin-

ning to take shape and it appears
to have widespread support. A
meeting last month attracted
representation from Healthy
Communities, Terrace Regional
Health Care Society, Mills Mem-
orial Hospital, Skeena Health
Unit, Corrections, Northwest
Drug and Alcohol, Terrace and
District Community Services,
Canada Manpower and Project
Interconnect.

It was first suggested that four
unused beds in the hospital

psychiatric unit might be used,,

but that idea has since been
replaced with a new plan that.
would provide more services and
probably make the best possible
use of all community resources.

The Terrace. Regional Health
Care Society currently has a
proposal before the Ministry of
Health to establish a psychiatric
daycare program in the old
nurses’ residence behind the
hospital. The program would
utilize about 16 of 32 available
beds and would require around
$70,000 worth of - renovations
and repairs to the roof and sewer
system of the building.

That plan would ase only half
the building, leaving more than
enough room:for a detox centre
there. Because of the diversity
of groups represented at the
December meeting, however, it
became, apparent that: a aumber

Teachers

of organizations had plans that
could utilize the remaining space
in the nurses residence, and it
also appeared that there might be
room for them all. |

The Terrace chapter of the
Nisga’a Tribal Council would

like to establish a hostel for:

Nisga’a patients and members of
their families waiting to be
admitted to hospital or to be
transported home. A local ser-
vice club has a similar idea but
one that would serve the region.
rather than just the Nass Valley.
Another Terrace service club has
expressed a desire to establish a
"safe house" for children in
Terrace.

According to community ser-
vices society administrator
Michael Beausoleil, all four
services fit nicely together and it
is appropriate that all four ser-
vices be close to the hospital.
The psychiatric daycare program
would complement the detox
centre and possibly the safe
house. And the safe house and
detox centre would require
24-hour supervision that
wouldn’t need to be duplicated
if these services were in separate
buildings.

There are problems: to be
worked out, of course. The most
obvious being a facility that
serves both children and adult
psychiatric patients. Beausoleil,
though, believes problems like
these can be solved age a

GB Re grin

consider

uses for interest

TERRACE — The: Terrace
District Teachers’ Union will
decide what is done with about
$30,000 in interest that accumu-
lated on wages withheld because
of Bill 82.

Last month the
received a total of about $1.4
million, wage increases that had

been ratified by a contract

signed with School District 88 in

June 1991 but embargoed under |
-the Compensation Fairness Act.

The contract was effective for
the two years from the expiry of
the previous agreement in June
1990.

At the public board meeting
Dec. 10 trustees were asked by
the union to pay out the interest
that had accrued on the unpaid
wages.

Trustees and union representa-
tives met Dec. 17. TDTU presi-
dent Rob Brown said afterward,
"It was good, I was really
pleased." He explained that
board offered the money to the
TDTU to do with as it pleased,
but wanted to avoid the oncrous
accounting procedure of having
to calculate the amount payable
to each individual teacher and
recommended that the TDTU
determine how the money would
be used.

Brown said the TDTU execu-
tive has decided to call general
membership meetings. during

teachers -

January to put the question to all
members of the union. The aver-
age amount of money at stake
for individual teachers is prob-
ably around $50, he said.

Referring to the meeting with
the board representatives, Brown
commented, "It’s a good day

- when we can sit down with

trustees and achieve this kind of
. Cooperative atmosphere."

$48 per room/per night

on a Standard Single, Double or Twin
Room any Friday, Saturday or Sunday
Come in and enjoy our

Waterfront Restaurant

or have a drink in

Charley’s Lounge.

Call for a Reservation
Toll Free 1-800-663-8150

MOTOR HOTEL

222 West Ist Ave.

a (604) 624-6771 (SERN

i

thoughtful physical layout. The
children, for example, could be
separated from the adults by
providing a space for a “house
parent" between the two.

There is a known need for a
detox -centre in Terrace. Eve
Kusnick cf Northwest Drug and
Alcohol, however, says it's
difficult to place a number on
that need. There have been no
recent studies, she says. And
most patients now in need of a
detox centre are being admitted
to hospital for related diseases
such as liver ailments.

This is primarily because the §

Ministry of Health only allows
two days for detoxification and
the nearest detox centre is in

Prince George. A patient admit- j

ted to Mills Memorial for a liver
ailment, even if that ailment is
alcohol-related, can stay longer
than. would be allowed if the
admission cause were alcohol
abuse,

But Beausoleil says even a
longer stay in hospital doesn’t
meet the needs of a detox
patient. After a week or 10-day
stay in hospital, the patient is
released to return to the same
environment from which he

came, and a few months down J
the road he’s back in hospital for §

a repeat of the same treatment.

What is needed, says Beau- §

care to ensure the patient's

‘return to a healthier lifestyle...

There is a lot of work to be

done, says Beausoleil. The Ter-.

race Regional Health Care
Society can’t do anything until
they are presented with a firm
plan as well as confirmed

sources of operating money. And
to begin developing a firm plan,
Beausoleil says, they are apply-

soleil, is a coordinated program

that offers the best of all exist-.

, Bs services. This would consist Mills Memorial Hospital janitor Ed d Gregory accepted his:
#i prize of:a Cash Calendar lastimonth-from "Slim Pickens", the
skeleton he named. There were 120 entries in the Mills”
stay in the.detox centre with Memorial Hospital “Name That Skeleton" contest in December

of something liké'a 10-dayeste ay
in hospital, followed by a 20-day

Terrace Review — Thursday, January 2, 1992 3

Multiple uses proposed for vacant hospital annex.

_ing for a grant so a few Terrace
professionals can have a look at.
other detox centres in the. io prov.

ince.

As far as the other uses of the”
nurses residence are concerned,
he says, discussions continue to.
further develop the concept and’
seck out sources of community.

funding.

psychiatric help, and then an and Gregory's entry was judged the best of the top 10 entries.
The fully articulated plastic skeleton will be used by

extended period of ongoing

Province of British Columbia
Ministry of Social Services
and Housing

A Foster Home is needed in Terrace or Kitimat
on a long term basis for a fourteen year old boy.
“Bobby” lives with cerebral palsy and is

also mentally handicapped. |
He enjoys swimming and loves the outdoors.
~ - . He also loves to help others.
Special rates apply over and above the basic
Foster Home payment andafeefor
| service is negotiable.
_ For more information, please call
the Ministry of Social Services at:

638-3527

i
FOSTER CARE

British Columbia

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