Moncton's Harvest House wants to add addiction centre for women

Harvest House Atlantic, an emergency shelter andcommunity outreachcentre in Moncton, wants to expand to offer an addiction treatment program for women.

The faith-based community group already offers a nine-month, live-in addiction treatment program for men, but has previously just had a referral service for women.

But now, Cal Maskery, the founder and executive director of the organization, saidthey feel the need has grown so much, they have to act.

"We just got into a place where we just don't have access to send them where they need," Maskerysaid.

"We're at a crisis point and that's why we're looking at this."

Currently,Harvest House refers women, who areseeking nine-month, live-in addiction treatment, to one oftwo treatment centres in Grand Falls orTracy.

Sometimes the women are turned away because those programs are often full,Maskery said.

Harvest House Atlantic founder saidit's preferable to keep men and women in separate treatment programs.

That's because women with addiction problems are often coming out of domestic abuse situations, and may not feel comfortable expressing vulnerability around men going through their own issues, he said.

Debby Warren, theexecutive director of AIDS Moncton, saidroughly 40 per centof the people who use their needle exchange clinic are women.

Women, she said, have a particular challenge getting help, especially live-in treatment.

"They come with children, and other family members, they may be caregivers to senior family members," said Warren.

"So it's complicated and some real thought needs to go into it. You need to work with the women and not think that we know what's best for them, but to consult with women and find out what addresses their needs."

Harvest House Atlantic's plan is in the preliminary stageand the group is seeking funding for the expansion.

The organization says itdoes not intend to apply for government funding for the addiction recovery program specifically, because it is a faith based program.