PAIN garners growing support

FORT FRANCES—With ongoing efforts to raise community awareness about local drug- and alcohol-related issues, members of Parents Against Illicit Narcotics (PAIN) have sought support from health professionals in the area.
Local pharmacists, counsellors, and medical doctors joined in the group’s most recent monthly meeting last week to discuss treatments for drug and alcohol addictions.
“It was so rewarding, so moving, to have professionals in the room actively discussing the issue for two hours,” enthused PAIN member Hugh Dennis, who also is co-ordinator of the Rainy River District Substance Abuse Prevention Team.
Not only did they recognize there are some gaps in service in the district (especially for youth under the age of 18), they also heard a presentation about the Medically Enhanced Co-ordinated Care for Addiction (M.E.C.C.A.) program based at Lake of the Woods District Hospital in Kenora.
M.E.C.C.A. offers a range of medically-supported addictions treatment services to individuals who otherwise may not benefit from traditional ones.
Candidates for the program include individuals with problematic use of an opioid and individuals who are identified as “medically at risk” as a result of their substance abuse and associated lifestyle, such as seniors, pregnant women, youths (at least 18 years old), parents of young and/or vulnerable children, homeless individuals, and First Nations residents.
The two-week residential program offers comprehensive medical assessment, multidisciplinary treatment planning, counselling, Oxycontin tapering, methadone maintenance, information, education, and support for families.
Dennis noted residents of Rainy River District have been using this program.
“It’s a very effective program, but there’s still a gap in service,” he stressed, noting M.E.C.C.A. accepts only individuals who are 18 years and older.
While a group in Atikokan continues to look into developing an addictions treatment centre there, likely to service youths under the age of 18 residing in either Rainy River District or Northwestern Ontario, discussion at last week’s PAIN meeting highlighted methods to make treatment easier for those in the area.
It was noted that upon completion of the two-week program in Kenora, individuals are required to return there for follow-up. For those receiving methadone treatment, daily trips to Kenora are necessary initially.
To lessen the burden of relentless travel, two of the doctors from Kenora expressed a willingness to come to the local community to help provide follow-up to the M.E.C.C.A. program if funding was available.
Another option agreed upon was to look into getting a local medical doctor involved, so the individual could see him or her rather than travel to Kenora.
“It’s very encouraging because travel can be very problematic,” Dennis indicated, noting the cost of gas and time are huge factors.
“The options discussed will make follow-up care far easier from a economic perspective. They wouldn’t have to go back to see [the doctor] as they do now. . . .
“Maybe more people would seek treatment,” he added.
In addition, Lake of the Woods Hospital has requested support from the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) for a tele-health studio and renovation to accommodate the studio.
The technology would help to reduce waiting times and bring services closer to home for many clients.
The letter of request indicates geography has added to the challenges of M.E.C.C.A.’s service delivery system, with clients being required to travel back to Kenora to be monitored by the physician.
“The M.E.C.C.A. Clinic could use the tele-health system to help reduce the amount of traveling by the clients,” it adds. “It is our belief that with creativity and support through technology, we can improve the quality of life for our clients.”
Discussion of these issues will continue at PAIN’s next meeting, which is slated for Monday, Jan. 14. Members of the public are welcome to attend.
For more information, contact Dennis at 274-9827 or PAIN chair Sharon Strachan at 274-3131.
(Fort Frances Times)