Referral Process
GENERAL INFORMATION FOR REFERRAL WORKER/AGENCY
1. Referrals will be accepted from the following sources:
- Self referral
- Community-based counsellors/agencies
- Detox, halfway houses
- Health and paraprofessionals
- Women shelters/CAS
2. The referral agencies must be in contact with Sagashtawao Healing Lodge and the prospective client to make an informed referral.
3. The referral agencies are advised that a client is not considered confirmed unless a letter of acceptance has been issued by Sagashtawao Healing Lodge.
4. Upon client acceptance, the referral agencies are requested to inform clients of the following:
- Clients must bring personal belongings as stated in the Client Information Checklist.
- Return travel arrangements must be prearranged by agency. Sagashtawao is not responsible for picking up or dropping off clients during arrivals and departures.
- Any appointments with doctors, lawyers, probation, court dates, employment/cheque issues, babysitter issues, etc., must be taken care of prior to admission.
- S.H.L. does not dispense over the counter medication, including Tylenol, Aspirins, sleeping aids, cough syrups. Therefore, all medication must be prescribed by a doctor.
- Clients must abstain from all mood altering substances, i.e., Prozac, tranquilizers, etc.
- Clients must bring their own spending money.
- There is a no contact rule for the first two weeks of the 6-week individual program and the first week of the 3-week family program. Only emergency calls will be permitted.
- TB skin tests are no longer required. Page 3 of the medical forms includes TB screening.
- Completion of the referral and medical forms is a requirement. All forms must be received two weeks prior to all admission dates for screening procedures.
REFERRAL PROCESS
- Once the screening procedure has been completed, a letter of acceptance/decline will follow.
- We do not accept women who are pregnant in the Individual Program because the program is both emotionally and physically demanding which could cause undue stress to the mother and the developing infant. They are accepted in the Family Healing Program.
- We recommend clients referred to Sagashtawao Healing Lodge not be closely related to avoid any treatment conflict.
WAITING LIST
A waiting list starts once the capacity of the Lodge is filled. As cancellations occur, the intake of clients is made available from the waiting list. A waiting list is part of admission criteria and process and operates on first come, first serve basis.
CANCELLATIONS
Clients are encouraged to phone the Lodge if any cancellations are foreseen prior to the admission date. This should be done as soon as possible by the client or referral worker so that others can be considered.
COUPLES
It is strongly recommended that couples or siblings not be referred on the same Individual Program. Couples are accepted in our Family Healing Program.
ADMISSION CRITERIA
If you meet some of the following criteria, welcome to Sagashtawao Healing Lodge.
- Must be a registered First Nations or Inuit Person with a Registry and/or Band number
- 72 hour abstinence
- For individuals who are eighteen years of age and older
- For families with children 0 and up
- Former graduates of drug and alcohol centres
- Individuals with addiction related problems
- A desire to stop drinking
- A desire to overcome addictive behavior
- A desire to commit to healing and recovery
- A desire to explore a life of healing and recovery
- For individuals who may or may not have relapsed or are at risk of relapse and want to return to a life of recovery and healing
- Travel to be arranged by the referral worker/agency including to/from the Lodge
- Self-referral
- All parts of the referral and medical forms are completed and all test results submitted to Sagashtawao Healing Lodge
REFERRAL PROCESS
ADMISSION DAY
Admission day will be every Monday of the new intake cycle of programing. Clients are expected to be at the Lodge by 6:00 p.m.
It is important that a client be clean for 72 hours prior to admission to the Lodge. W e want to ensure the best quality care, welfare, safety, security for our clientele and avoid delaying the treatment process.