Services, Programs
Location: {Smith Centre} and {Balmoral Centre} Contact: {Norma}

Programs of hope, opportunity and learning for adults who have been negatively affected by substance abuse or gambling.

Addiction Services primarily offers comprehensive programming for youth and adults from Thunder Bay and Northwest Ontario. Our residential programs do accept referrals from anywhere in Ontario and have also admitted people from other parts of Canada. Services are provided at two sites and encompass three programs.

At the first site, the Sister Margaret Smith Centre houses both Youth and Adult Services which offer a range of substance abuse and gambling treatment options as well as training and educational components.

The Balmoral Withdrawal Management Centre is the location of the second site and provides non-medical detoxification from alcohol and other drugs for males and females over 16 years.

All the program components of Addiction Services are voluntary and respectful of the participant's dignity and confidentiality. Funding is provided through the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care and the Ministry of Community, Family and Children's Services.

A Profile of Adult Services

Front Doors to the Sister Margaret Smith Centre

The Sister Margaret Smith Centre is a client-centered, regional resource which offers a variety of programs for adults (18+) who are experiencing difficulties due to substance abuse or gambling.

The continuum of care includes:

The Sister Margaret Smith Centre promotes a holistic approach to recovery and making life changes. We believe that in order for change to take root, our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual selves need to be strengthened. In order to facilitate this, our program components utilize a variety of approaches and strategies including:

The Adult Services counselors are experienced, caring professionals with a background in several different disciplines including social work, psychology, nursing and education. Other essential members of the team are:

In order to meet the diverse needs of our clients, some of our staff have specialized training with particular populations. These include:

Community resources are brought in on a regular basis to enhance the programming- Native elders, AIDS Thunder Bay staff, District Health Unit, Community Pregnancy and Health Outreach, Credit Counseling. Self-help and other support groups are offered on-site five times a week.

The Sister Margaret Smith Centre is part of a flexible community network of agencies working together to provide comprehensive care to all those in need of addiction services. Training and educational presentations are offered in the community to increase the understanding and early intervention of substance abuse and gambling problems.