Herway Home ‘one-stop access’ program in Victoria set to open

Women-centred “one-stop” program soon to open in Victoria, BC

Image via flickr (http://flic.kr/p/5wabYM)

The Times Colonist published an article today profiling the Herway Home program in Victoria, BC (Vulnerable mothers and babies to get vital help, May 20, 2012).

HerWay Home is a ‘one-stop access’ program for women in the perinatal period who use substances. After four years of planning by over 30 government and community agencies, advocates and experts, HerWay Home will be opening its doors in later summer/early fall of 2012. Services will include prenatal care, a drop-in centre, short-term stabilization housing, drug and alcohol counselling, and parenting support.

The article includes an interview with NAT member, Lenora Marcellus, Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Victoria.

Read the news release “Healthy Babies & Women the Focus of New Community Program” from the Vancouver Island Health Authority here (May 17, 2012).

Other similar “one-stop shop” models in Canada include Breaking the Cycle in Toronto, Sheway in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, the Maxxine Wright Community Health Centre in Surrey, and Streetworks’ Supports for Homeless Pregnant Women in Edmonton.

For more on this program model, see previous posts:

• FASD Prevention and Social Determinants of Women’s Health: Assessing the Evidence (March 5, 2012)
• “New Choices” for pregnant and parenting women with addictions (January 9, 2012)
• Streetworks’ Supports for Homeless Pregnant Women project (September 15, 2011)
• Clinical Webcast on Breaking the Cycle Program: September 20, 2011 (August 2,  2011)
• Setting the Record Straight on Motherhood and Drug Use (April 28, 2011)