Editor's note: BarrieToday reporter Nikki Cole visited the Cornerstone to Recovery facility in York Region to get a first-hand look at what services they provide and what this could mean in Barrie. Cornerstone is opening a women's treatment centre on Tiffin Street this summer. The following is Part 2 of the two-part series. To read Part 1, click here.
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It’s amazing what can be accomplished as long as you have a little bit of support.
Since getting the green light from Barrie city council late last year, staff at Cornerstone to Recovery have been hard at work making plans for the development of a new 12-bed women’s residential addiction recovery facility. The $400,000 interest-free loan to renovate the long-unoccupied building, located at 77 Tiffin St., makes it possible to create a one-of-a-kind space for women facing addiction issues in the city.
The loan, said Peter Brewitt, the Cornerstone’s director of programs and development, is allowing them to get the renovations started and gives them the flexibility to design the facility exactly how they want it to be.
“I got really excited when we sat down to plan and to be able to say ‘I want this here and this there’... it’s fantastic because most places have already been created," he said.
Council’s unanimous decision to support the creation of the facility and provide the loan was a much-needed boost, said Brewitt, adding a visit from Mayor Jeff Lehman and Coun. Natalie Harris last year proved to him just how interested the city was in bringing this type of facility to the area.
“The mayor came here last year and I thought was going to be a quick in and out. He spent three hours because he was genuinely interested not only in what we did, but more importantly how we did it,” he said.
The fact Cornerstone is self-supported proved to be another draw to the city in bringing the organization to Barrie, Brewitt added.
While the organization does rely heavily on donations, it is also self-supporting through its recycled clothing program. In Barrie, Brewitt said Cornerstone has secured a deal with Talize Thrift Store, which will manage the program and will collect the clothing bins located in every ward in the city.
“It’s a multi-purpose double value thing. We are going to be able to stand on our own two feet at 77 Tiffin through this program and the city will see less waste being sent to the landfill. It’s a win-win," he said.
The money raised through that program will help cover a portion of the cost of the services for clients, noted Brewitt, adding with only 12 beds, staff need to be pretty fussy about who comes to stay.
“When you do the math, I can only put so many people through in a year. There are a lot of people out there who need help, but unfortunately there’s only so much I can do. I have an excellent team of addiction counsellors, but I don’t have a medical component so the mental health side of things and the meds they need for serious mental illness… we just don’t have the background, resources or the facility," he said.
Your “typical” addict, Brewitt added, has changed significantly since he first started in the field in 1992.
“The average (person) was probably mid-40s and an alcoholic... maybe a little bit of cocaine. Today, it’s so much more than that. What you get is what we call ‘Heinz 57’. It’s a mixed bag. We bring them in and we play what I call connect the dots. When we are finished, we have a picture that will tell us whether we can help or not. And if I can’t then I am going to refer (them) to a facility that will help,” he said.
“That’s the deal… when you walk out of here you’ve got a game plan. … Whether you execute it or not is entirely up to you.”
Brewitt, who has handpicked his existing team in York Region, is in the midst of hiring a residential manager for the Barrie facility,
The facility is slated to open this summer, and Brewitt says he’s looking forward to building his new team here in the city.
“This is really happening and it’s exciting. Now that I am actually starting to see this come to fruition it’s really exciting and I am really looking forward to helping some people in Barrie.”
