Welcome Hall Residences
Diagnosed as schizophrenic at the age of 44, Michael* had lost all hope of overcoming the evils that were destroying his life...
Persistence Pays
"I've pulled through, I have my apartment, I attend school and even go to job interviews."
Welcome Hall Residences
Where miracles can happen!
Diagnosed as schizophrenic at the age of 44, Michael* had lost all hope of overcoming the evils that were destroying his life. On welfare, alone and rejected by family and friends because of his violent behavior and substance abuse, Michael fell into a downward spiral that led him to become a regular at the Douglas Hospital. With over 20 hospitalizations, one lasting as long as three years, doctors didn't think that medication alone could ever get him back on track. While the Douglas Hospital specializes in mental health, Michael's case seemed a lost cause. Another approach to treatment had to be found, one that combined medication and rehabilitation.
The partnership between the Douglas Hospital and the Welcome Hall Residences began with the specific needs of individuals like Michael who did not respond to the standard approach to treatment.
Well-known for its rehabilitation and social integration programs, Welcome Hall Residences offer men suffering from substance abuse (which is frequently combined with mental health problems) a caring ear and effective tools to address their struggles. Through the Twelve Step Program, men are given a second chance at life.
At the end of his six months with the program, Michael was no longer consuming drugs. Instead, he was participating in community work and taking courses through the CREP (Center of the Educational Resources of Montreal) offered at the Mission itself. He then found an apartment and was on the road to a more normal life. "This isn't simply a story with a happy ending, it's a miracle!" says Terry Papafylis, Human Relations Officer at the Douglas Hospital.
Congratulations to the whole team at Welcome Hall Residences for their patience, determination and love towards these men who come knocking on their door.
Persistence Pays
"Thanks to Le Roc, I have a place where I can be myself and people who support me. I've pulled through, I have my own apartment, I go to school and have had some job interviews …"
Carl* was 16 when he first came to Le Roc-Youth Outreach: "I was running away when I first came to Le Roc. At that time we had to pay 50 cents to eat," he explains.
Although that was eight years ago, Carl remembers the atmosphere at Le Roc well. There were sofas and sometimes we'd watch movies ... I often helped the cook prepare the meals in the afternoon, it was pleasant".
But what Carl remembers most is the long road to becoming an adult, a challenge that turned into a prolonged absence outside Montreal.
Carl was 22 when he came back to Montreal. So Le Roc- Youth Outreach was the sole reference point, like a lifebuoy he could hold onto in hope of a better life. "I would come to (Le Roc) occasionally, only when I had to. There were new people. Then last year, the organization went through a transformation and began to offer lunches, activities and karate lessons..."
Le Roc has introduced new programs to meet the needs of young people like Carl: a training room and new activities. Every effort is being made to get as many kids off the streets as possible. Often these are kids who have stumbled onto a bad path, who want to change but don't know how to do it.
"Thanks to Le Roc, I have a place where I can be myself and people who support me. I've pulled through, I have my own apartment, I go to school and have had some job interviews ..." Carl said. "I still come to Le Roc but only when things get tough at the end of the month".
* Not his real name