The Phoenix Recovery Project which seeks to assist persons afflicted with addiction has begun to build a successful platform but it needs the involvement of persons and corporate entities that could enable it to be there for the long haul.
An overview of the project stated that, “We hope that this initiative would not be seasonal, but sustained especially during these challenging economic times, and as such, we are inviting all organizations to partner with us in this venture which attempts to mend the fabric of society.”
The Phoenix Recovery Project, located at 90 Block ‘CC’ Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, was founded in August 2002 and in its advocacy it emphasizes that drugs respect no one, has no barriers and affects every stratum of society. In that regard, “we are requesting that both public and private sector organizations partner with us as we treat and rehabilitate the afflicted and educate the society.”
The project caters for drug treatment and rehabilitation for 12 men and 12 women, and preferably the age of acceptance is 18-years-old. Treatment and rehabilitation is done in two distinct phases with phase one being residential care while phase two deals with after-care through narcotics anonymous and alcoholics anonymous meetings as an adjunct treatment.
And recognizing the need for a facility to target females, Phoenix last month began such an operation after securing partial funding from the United States State Department through the Catholic Relief Services.
According to the overview document, the project’s overall objective is to decrease drug demand and abuse in Guyana, one addict at a time and its priority in that regard is to promote the personal development of clients’ lives after in-house care, thereby enabling them to return as responsible, productive members of society.
In residential care the client resides at the centre for six to 12 months to undergo treatment which entails participating in group and individual therapy as well as workshops on self-esteem, stress and anger management, and relapse prevention, among other sessions. Spiritual focus is considered very important and so the client participates in daily spiritual sessions. Moreover, Phoenix works in collaboration with the Psychiatric Clinic at the Georgetown Public Hospital to ensure clients receive the necessary treatment.
In after care, the client is required to return once weekly for 90-minute group therapy for 12 months and reintegration with family, community and society is also facilitated, the project overview noted.
