Social Reintegration

Reintegrating into everyday society is an important element of the Portage process, as the clients’ new values, behaviours, and attitudes are put to the test in the outside environment.

Portage prepares them for this challenge by helping them develop tools and confidence to be able to withstand negative influences and to cope with the stresses of mainstream society.

Throughout the drug addiction rehabilitation program, clients are given different opportunities to put into practice the tools and competencies that they have been learning in treatment.

Whether through everyday interactions at the centre, cultural and recreational activities or outings, or scheduled outings with family members, clients are working to solidify their learning so that once treatment is completed, they will be prepared to better function in society, without resorting to drug abuse.

Any issues that come up during these activities are dealt with within the therapeutic community.

Visits and Outings

Scheduled visits and outings with loved ones help clients with progressive social reintegration. After a certain amount of time in treatment, family members and significant others can visit the client at the centre. Over time, the intensity of visits progresses as clients can leave the centre with their loved ones for the day and eventually over entire weekends.

These visits and outings not only help the client prepare for the adjustment back to the home environment, but also give the family the opportunity to better understand how their loved one has progressed, and how to best manage the new reality of their home environment.

Exit Plan

While in drug addiction treatment, residents develop an exit plan that covers all aspects of their life: family, friends, work, school, and health.

Before completing the residential component of their drug addiction rehabilitation treatment, they have a plan for where they will be living, what they will be doing, and how they will manage various personal challenges.

Family Services

The more support clients have and the better equipped their loved ones are to help, the better the chances are for a smooth social reintegration. Portage offers support groups to family members and significant others whose loved ones are in drug addiction treatment at Portage. Read more

Supervised Apartments

In order to facilitate the transition from the structured and secure environment at Portage to an autonomous lifestyle as a graduate, clients of certain programs have access to supervised apartments upon completion of the residential program. Read more