Drug rehab centre marks 20 years

These will include collaborating with other NGOs to launch a public campaign, and an inter-religious service. The Centre is attempting to create a register of all clients who have benefitted from its services and past clients are encouraged to call the Centre to register.

New Life has treated more than 4,000 clients ages 13 and above. At present, the Centre can house 40 clients in primary care, five in aftercare, and seven in a halfway house programme. Occupancy rates vary between 80-90 percent. The Centre’s annual operational costs are approximately $1,000,000 and its main sources of funding are the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, client contributions, proceeds of a bank overdraft and cash donations. Donations in kind from Living Water Community subsidise the actual cost of operations.

The Centre was founded by Rhonda Maingot, Clive Pantin, Derek Johnson and others 20 years ago. Senate President Dr Linda Baboolal was also part of the initial team who contributed to its formation. Its Administrator/Clinical Coord-inator is Hulsie Bhaggan.

According to Bhaggan the Centre has treated addicts from Australia, Scotland, Aruba, Holland, Venezuela, USA, Canada, and the Caribbean.

It was incorporated in September 1986 under the Companies Ordinance Chapter, No 1 and has been conducting a two-year rehabilitation programme for persons addicted to drugs, alcohol, nicotine, and other mind/mood-altering chemicals/ substances. This includes individuals addicted to prescription and non-prescription drugs and gambling.

Over the years the Centre has sought to bring recovering addicts into balance and to assist in building their sense of well-being, self-worth, positive vision of the future and feelings of empowerment. Clients are motivated to change attitudes, undesirable behaviours, thinking and values and to apply skills to cope with life’s challenges without resorting to old patterns.

According to officials at the Centre, the majority of addicts are talented and skilled persons who face the challenge of keeping well-paid jobs, managing relationships in their lives and coping with life. Recovering addicts need to participate in a therapeutic community which offers a highly-structured, managed environment with an intensive human development programme. This is essentially New Life approach.

The target group continues to include individuals who have been arrested and have outstanding drug and crime related offences and those who completed prison terms. In the case of persons who have charges pending, depending on the offence, once the client enters treatment, the courts have been very lenient after receiving correspondence and representation from the Centre.

New Life Ministries has been offering a second chance home for a limited number of working clients, as well as those who have been diagnosed with dual disorders and require close supervision until they have been stabilised.

However, officials say expansion of the primary care programme and establishment of a transition house and an offsite second chance home will require assistance.