In a Toronto boarding house where almost every room offered a different drug, 14-year-old runaway Myra Perrin was offered a chance to no longer worry about life.
“They [the tenants] said it will help you forget and you don’t have to worry about your life and stuff so I thought OK,” said Perrin, who was offered crystal meth and speed after running away from home where she had been abused by a relative. “It does make you forget about everything. I thought, I think I’ll do more of this.”
Perrin dropped out of school. She worked as a waitress at a Toronto restaurant, but at 14, wasn’t paid much, and sold sex on the streets. It was the beginning of a life of addiction that would span almost three decades.
She would overdose “quite a few times” and even get struck by a car while high on blackberry wine and cocaine, suffering internal injuries and a broken hip, tailbone and shoulder. She says she was so out of it, all she remembers is waking up in intensive care.
Perrin didn’t hit a turning point until 2009 while she was living in Prince George. Her boyfriend at the time crushed and broke her leg, jaw and nose and gave her HIV knowing he was carrying the disease, she said. Perrin reached out to her family, who paid for her bus ticket to Nanaimo and arranged for her to stay at Samaritan House. She later moved into Sophia House, a five-bed supportive recovery program for women post-treatment. It closed in 2012 after a funding deficit and less-than-sustainable occupancy rates, according to a press release from its operator, the Island Crisis Care Society.
“It was just a fantastic place. It taught me how to love myself again,” said Perrin who says without Samaritan and Sophia House she’d be dead or on the streets.
Now, two years after Sophia House shuttered, Island Health has announced the return of supportive recovery for women in the Nanaimo area.
Island Health, which once funded ICCS’ Sophia House to the tune of about $290,000 annually, has put out a request for proposals for a five- to six-bed supportive recovery service, where women would be able to stay an average of three months and learn problem solving to substance-use patterns, relapse prevention and good nutritional choices. Island Health is also looking for the ability to expand the service by another four beds when dollars are available.
Island Health, the crisis care society and Nanaimo Regional John Howard Society agree there’s a need for the beds.
All 11 supportive recovery beds for the central Island are designated for men. Women looking for the same kind of aid currently have to seek space up Island or in Victoria.
“We don’t have anything – not as far as residential programs,” said Violet Hayes, executive director of the Island Crisis Care Society, who said in a previous interview that leaving the community is challenging for women, especially if they have a family and want to maintain those relationships in Nanaimo. She calls Island Health’s announcement great.
Keva Glynn, Island Health director for strategic and tertiary mental health and substance use services, said a 2013 service review recommended the beds and with the number of people coming out of detox – an average of 19 women a month – there is need.
“The utilization I think is a fair question. That if we weren’t able to fill it before, would we be able to fill it now and what I am thinking and I think what others are as well is if we have stronger connections with referral agencies [like Clearview Detox] ... we will be able to fill it,” she said.
Sophia House, which opened in 2010, only ever reached about 66 per cent occupancy. In 2011, it was 51 per cent full – accounting for one of the reasons it closed, said Glynn, who adds that it also didn’t offer enough supports. Island Health plans on creating connections with the detox centre, as well as employment and family transition services.
According to Glynn, the supportive recovery is huge and an important component for women, giving them extra time and tools to help sustain their recovery after the physical detox.
“With women, when they’re healthy, their families tend to be healthier as well, so I think that we see the spinoff not just on an individual basis, but population-wise too,” she said.
The request for proposals closes at the end of January.