Brentwood Recovery Home reacts to growing opioid crisis

The opening of a drug consumption and treatment site in Windsor, Ont. can’t come soon enough, according to officials at Brentwood Recovery Home, following another opioid alert issued this week by the local health unit.

They said it’s difficult and heartbreaking to endure regular public alerts in the community saying Windsor’s opioid problem continues to get worse.

“It can be heart wrenching,” said Jamie Lewenza, a women’s group leader at Brentwood. “When people are literally just, you know, they're here in front of you one minute and then they're dead the next minute and they're young people.”

Lewenza recently completed a year-long “intensive” training program with the majority of fellow Brentwood staff to enhance their skills to meet the growing and complex needs of clients and the community.

“Absolutely I've noticed a difference. I myself personally have learned a lot,” Lewenza explained. “It’s just the knowledge and the experience, learning more about trauma, learning more about mental health, even learning more about how to take self care and how to take care of myself.”

The training was the result of an $86,900 Resilient Communities Fund Grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) and was completed in March.

Currently, Brentwood is awaiting response from the federal and provincial governments to see if more funding will be made available.

SafePoint Consumption and Treatment Services Site at 101 Wyandotte Street East in Windsor, Ont. on April 13, 2023. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)

Officials said in addition to the benefit to clients currently on program at Brentwood, the skills learned in the training will benefit hundreds of program graduates and alumni each year through aftercare programs.

Thanks to the grant, Brentwood was also able to support staff and upgrade technology with the purchase of new computers.

"The impact of this Ontario Trillium Foundation grant cannot be overstated,” said Elizabeth Dulmage, executive director of Brentwood Recovery Home.

“It's a very different world than it was 50, 40 years ago, even 10 years ago,” Dulmage explained, “It is critically important that we understand that there is science to support our clients too. Momentum picks up whether you've actually sat in a training or not.”

Dulmage said Brentwood intends to send staff to the consumption and treatment site when it eventually receives approval from upper levels of government.

“It can’t come soon enough,” Dulmage exclaimed.

Brentwood Recovery Home Board of Directors Chair Ken Courtenay, Windsor West MPP Lisa Gretzky, and Brentwood Recovery Home Executive Director Elizabeth Dulmage are pictured together on April 13. 2023. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)

“You never know that moment when someone is going to be ready to make a life change,” Dulmage said. “Having those places to go creates connection and creates relationships. And we believe that Brentwood, that spiritually it is that connection to other people that sense of belonging. So if I'm part of a community, even if that community is one that's still actively practicing in their addiction, there's hope and there's light and there's the possibilities that exist.”

Windsor West MPP Lisa Gretzky met with the recovery home team Thursday to learn more about how the grant funds were put to use.

“As the world evolves, as we look at the how the drug supply has changed and the needs that people change the complexity of the needs of people, I think it's really important,” said Gretzky. “A few years ago, the world was turned upside down and how to provide supports to people and reach people and where they're at, so to speak, became much more difficult.”