COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:

In my attempts to get more treatment for those addicted I have become veryinvolved with the community. I have met with Cordova Detox, former Mayor, Sam Sullivan, The Business Improvement Association, Al Arsenault former DTES police officer, and a founding member of the Odd Squad, Heather Hay, the Head of Vancouver Coastal Health Addictions, John MacKay, former Head of Vancouver Police City Wide Enforcement, David Eby former Head of Pivot Legal Society.  As well, I served on the executive of Urban Core for three years. 

 

DETOX AND RECOVERY:

Getting into detox or recovery can be next to impossible without a place stay. On numerous occasions individuals waiting for detox or recovery have been able to stay at Living Waters in the chapel while waiting to get into facilities.

LOBBYING:

I have continually lobbied for adequate detox and recovery.  We have 7,000 Addicts in theDowntownEastside and only 74 detox beds.  I have appeared on BCTV, and other outlets protesting the lack of detox. During 2007 I arranged two large conferences with Heather Hay, the head of drug treatment for Vancouver Coastal Health.  This is an on-going effort as Coastal Heath obviously prefers the so-called Harm Reduction method at the Safe Injection Site.  Millions of dollars that should have gone to detox centres like the Salvation Army’s Cordova Detox were instead rerouted to the Injection Site.