Listen to this article
Estimated 3 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
The Bissell Centre’s Den of Willows building has officially opened to offer tailored support for people in Edmonton living with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the facility on Tuesday in the Delton neighbourhood. Some people have already been living there and staff have already been supporting them.
The building offers options for housing that support sobriety as people are transitioning out of precarious living situations.
Den of Willows was named through a ceremony led by Indigenous Sweat Lodge Keeper and Pipe Carrier Orest Zwozdesky, Bissell Centre officials said.
“A lot of people want to take that step to find a way to change their life and to go into recovery,” Chance Goddard, who lives at the facility, said in an interview with CBC News on Monday.
“But you know, you go to treatment, you do all these options, you do this for yourself, but afterwards there’s not as much in place for that network of support.
“It’s beautiful to see [the Bissell Centre] actively trying to create places that provide support for that next step.”
The facility has 24/7 on-site staff providing support in life skills development, employment readiness, cultural connection and referrals to health and community services. (Mrinali Anchan/CBC News)
The Bissell Centre said the facility currently houses five people living with FASD who are in recovery from addiction and have histories of chronic homelessness.
The facility has 24/7 on-site staff providing support in life skills development, employment readiness, cultural connection and referrals to health and community services.
Lex Webb is one of those staff members who helps once a week at the facility.
“Getting it up off the ground, we really are working all together to figure out what works for the residents, what daily activity looks like for them, how we can support them, how we do the things that we find make us happy and healthy,” Webb said in an interview.
“The most meaningful part to me has been hearing the residents’ [stories].
“We all get busy with our daily lives, and we’re going a million miles an hour. For these guys, it’s just not that easy.
“So to stop, take a breath, know what it means to have motivation, compassion and energy to do something as simple as getting dressed for the day or brushing our teeth, and remembering how to do that well. So it’s really grounded me to take it slow and remind myself on a daily basis what’s really important.”
The Bissell Centre said it purchased the building with funds from an anonymous donor.
Mental Health and Addiction Minister Rick Wilson attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Programming is funded by his ministry.
“Recovery housing is a key part of Alberta’s recovery model, helping people transition from treatment into long-term stability,” Wilson said in a news release.
“Our government is proud to support initiatives like [the] Den of Willows supportive recovery house, improving outcomes for individuals and strengthening communities across the province.”
The Bissell Centre, together with Homeward Trust, also has another supportive housing building for people living with FASD called Hope Terrace.
That facility houses 34 people and offers similar support to Den of Willows.