Join Valentina and special guests Grace, Aurora and Helen, where they will each talk about their involvement and experience at Portage, a drug addiction rehabilitation centre for adolescents in Ontario.
Join Valentina and special guests Grace, Aurora and Helen, where they will each talk about their involvement and experience at Portage, a drug addiction rehabilitation centre for adolescents in Ontario.
Valentina 00:00
*Introduction Music* Hey everyone its Valentina. Good morning. Good afternoon or good evening, and welcome back to the Get With The Grove podcast. On today's episode we will be discussing and having conversations around this amazing place called Portage alongside three amazing women and their involvement and experience at Portage. To remind everyone this podcast is meant to have conversations we may not always be comfortable having and with this being said, take all the time you need listening to this episode, but I hope you find it as important, informational, and honestly as beautiful as I found it. Thank you, everyone, and hope you enjoyed today's episode. All right, welcome back, everyone. Today we're sitting with three amazing ladies, Helen, Grace and Aurora. Would you each like to introduce yourselves a little bit?
Helen 01:05
I'll go first. Okay, so my name is Helen Watkinson. And I am the aftercare counselor, and outreach worker at Portage, which is a residential treatment facility in Elora. But we service everybody that is within Ontario, we are a free service that actually helps kids that are battling with addiction. And it's just a really, really great place. And I work with kids once they finished the program about two months beforehand. And then afterwards, I work with them for 18 months after they've completed the residential treatment. And I also work with kids that maybe have decided that they want to leave, and they're not quite ready so then we set up wraparound supports within communities throughout Ontario.
Valentina 01:49
Awesome.
Aurora 01:50
And I'm Aurora and I'm a portage graduate. I went to the program two years ago and celebrated 400 days sober yesterday.
Helen 02:01
Yay!
Valentina 02:01
Welcome! Congratulations.
Grace 02:04
Hi, I'm Grace. I'm also a portage graduate. I did my program with Aurora. And yeah, I'm coming up on two and a half years.
Helen 02:16
Awesome. Fantastic. Congratulations.
Valentina 02:19
So we're gonna start with what is Portage, I know, Helen, you already answered this a little bit. But if both of you would like to go a little bit more in depth.
Helen 02:28
Do you want to talk about maybe what it is like what the therapeutic community is like, because that's, that's the model that we follow. Therapeutic community is where it's a strength based approach where youth are very much in tune with one another and they can, they can kind of see what's happening. I think peer to peer is something which we've already seen evidence is, is really the way to go when battling with stuff like addiction. But it's more than addiction, like addiction, I think is really just a symptom of a lot of other things that are happening. So when it's a peer to peer driven model, as opposed to not necessarily a medical model, then you're having youth being able to see the growth in each other, and then also build them up when maybe they're going through struggles. So that's what I see a lot within the therapeutic model and what you're aiming for is to be the best self you can be right like that's the ultimate and respect should always be underneath it so that's what I say. What about you guys? Like what was your experience with the like the therapeutic model and being in Portage?
Grace 03:29
I think a TC or therapeutic community is a really, like, helpful and I think that it kind of reminds you like that you are not alone there are people like surrounding you that are going through it too, and getting are here to support you.
Helen 03:45
Yeah, for sure. What about you Aurora?
Aurora 03:46
Yeah, no, I completely agree with that. I think it's very, yeah, like exactly what Grace said, it shows that you're like not alone. And it's people within like the same age range. And yeah, it just makes you feel like more comfortable I would say.
Helen 04:00
I think so too. But then the other thing that you you do see is that once people have completed it there's friendships that remain. And I think that's important because we always go through ups and downs, just as human beings, regardless of whether you've had an addiction or not, you need to have somebody that maybe has an understanding of your experience, not it's not going to be your experience. But if they definitely have an understanding, and I think that's something that really comes with the aftercare portion that we really, we really connect as a group. We're like this little mini family like which is great. And other people that have left years and years before they sometimes check in. So it's like this continued growing family situation where there's, again, respect but also support and it kind of goes out and like kind of reaches out all over the place. And I think one of the things when you live with addiction is that you often loneliness is a huge thing. But you often don't know where to turn and if you've been so ashamed of what you've been going through because I think that's the biggest problem is that if you're not allowed to have transparency to say that you need help, then you can't possibly get the actual help that you need. And I think it's so much easier with you guys, when you're in the same peer group. Like you said, Aurora, I think that's something that is important. And that's how you start to process some things that maybe you just wanted to keep private for such a long time.
Valentina 05:24
So within this therapeutic community framework, what are some services and programs that are available within it.
Helen 05:32
Within it? So first of all, theres school that has to happen its mandatory when you come to portage. I think school is kind of good, because a lot of people when they've gone through, like, I know, you guys like time struggled with the school thing. So when you're going through, you're living through addiction, you tend to go through some pretty challenging times should we say, I mean, some people do Excel, but you do go through challenging times. So there's school. So that's really important. It's also a very strict kind of way that it's formulated, that everybody like has a routine. So routine is something that is absolutely imperative to getting you on the right track. And I mean, it starts from what Back to Basics is one of the things that said all the time, so like it starts with your room and your cubes do remember that?
Grace 06:22
Yeah.
Helen 06:23
So cubes are like where you keep all your stuff and you even learn how to roll your socks a certain way and do all that kind of stuff, chores, all the all the little stuff, but especially the kids, they do their chores. They also learn mandates and that kind of stuff. Right? Like do you remember where you got your mandates? Yeah, like laundry laundry? Yeah, yeah. And that takes like where you build up right. So there is morning meeting, which is an extremely important part of the day that has to be prepared. Do you remember the stuff from morning meeting?
Grace 06:52
Yes hahaha.
Valentina 06:53
Yeah. What were your routines like?
Grace 06:55
It was, I don't remember the exact order but we had like, the portage philosophy um the inspiration and like, motivation and like yeah
Aurora 07:08
Unburdening
Grace 07:09
Yeah progresses.
Valentina 07:10
So this was very strength based.
Grace 07:12
Yeah. Resolution. Yeah.
Helen 07:15
Oh, the resolutions was huge, right? The progress progress was the big one, right? Can you remember like the first time you didn't unburdening or a broader progress, which I think will bring the progress? Do you remember the first time we did something like that?
Valentina 07:28
What does it look like?
Grace 07:29
It's a little bit of a scramble.
Aurora 07:32
Hahaha, its 100 percent true.
Grace 07:34
And go eventually sit down and force everyone to be quiet. Hahaha um and then we kind of theres always a person, so whoever's leading the community is running it or who's whoever's leading it is running the meeting. Yeah. And then they have kind of people bringing progresses and unburdenings. And it starts out like introductions and everything. And you always, when we're getting up there, you always say like, Good morning, or good morning family.
Helen 08:06
Yeah, yeah. Then the other thing, too, is before you went into the meeting, you guys used to sit and prep, what was going to happen in the meeting. So it's organization, that's how it kind of starts the day always having to get up early. So it's a set bedtime and set waking up time, then it's school for a bit. And then I think it's the meetings that are really important. Like, that's some of the therapeutic meetings that we used to do. Because that's part of like, all of our jobs, but I used to do a lot of meetings. At the time, I used to do meetings about boundaries, dating, and all those kinds of things, which can be really quite challenging. And also a lot of people have gone through a lot of trauma. And they really need time to kind of process so we used to enjoy those meetings I think, did you?
Aurora 08:55
yeah those were the best.
Grace 08:58
Yea did you like those? Yea and we finally got tea.
Helen 08:59
Oh yea we got tea, we used to make tea we used to have the little tea thing. So every night again, we still do that. Because, again, the idea of family is when you're with people, and you, you do make a cup of tea, and you sit down and I mean, especially in the female community and those that identify as female, then I think it's so important that what we do is that we kind of come together as women and I think as as women Definitely. It's one of those things that we all sit around and have a little chat right.
Valentina 09:30
You spilled the tea while you guys had tea.
Grace 09:32
Hahaha we split the tea, yea thats an awesome thing to call it. Yeah we would share so many stories.
Helen 09:38
Yea I know its kinda fun haha.
Valentina 09:41
So, I guess let's also start to get into what brought each of you to portage.
Grace 09:48
Yeah, for me. What really brought me to portage was like this feeling of hopelessness and a feeling of like hitting kind of like a crossroad and having nowhere to go like not knowing which direction to go, and theres no pathway laid out for me, especially at such a young age. So I came into portage kind of looking for something more, something better. At first, I just came to like, build some trust, so I could go back. But then after about two or three months, I realized like, I'm, I'm here for more than other people and more than I'm here for myself.
Valentina 10:30
Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Thank you.
Aurora 10:33
So yeah, I had a kind of a different experience. I was expelled from a whole school board at the age of 15.
Helen 10:43
Hahaha I do remember that.
Aurora 10:44
All due to like drug related incidents. So I was told that I could either go to an expulsion school or I could go to rehab. And of course, I wanted to go to the expulsion school. And my mom was like, Absolutely not.
Valentina 10:58
Why did you want to go more to the explusion school?
Aurora 11:00
Because I didn't want to be sober at all. I had no intentions of getting sober, staying sober anything. I just wanted to keep doing what I was doing. And so yeah, I went to portage with no intention of being sober. And yeah, things got a little chaotic. While I was there. I wasn't the best. But yeah,
Helen 11:25
You were processing, right.
Aurora 11:26
Yeah, I ended up leaving after three months. And I relapsed, like, within the same week that I left. And yeah, within that same year was pretty rock bottom for me. And yeah, it took a whole year really, of me being at rock bottom, and kind of losing everything to realize that I wanted a better life and that I wanted to be sober. So then I called and I fought my way back to portage And I stayed and I did my six month program.
Valentina 11:55
Amazing.
Helen 11:56
Yeah, it is amazing. Yeah. They're both amazing. Yeah.
Valentina 12:00
Just the three people who are in front of me, like I can tell the whole community is like this. Yeah, it's so tight. And it's so sweet and so supportive. I'm curious, though, if there was ever a time that it maybe wasn't like that.
Helen 12:13
There's times when it can be not supportive. But I think that's part of the growth thing, right. Like, sometimes there's one thing to remember the thing that we would do like some of the things that we would do to like help you process, manage your feelings to in a state that step back. But I think by doing those kinds of things, you want to explain what those are, because I think they're incredibly important to what we do
Grace 12:36
Um managing feelings is really important that it takes it like straight back to basics. It's very, it seems very robotic. But again, like back to basics, I think that's what people in early recovery need. Yeah. It's basically a way of expressing your feelings, saying, like, what this brought you back to like, how you were in a plan to move forward?
Helen 12:56
Yeah, yeah. And that could be good and uncomfortable feelings, right. Like, there's times when I'm, I think the thing that's really great that I really enjoyed when I watched it. And I've worked in lots of different places. But the thing I loved about it was that you could see the empowerment in youth, who at times have felt no power. Like I think that's very much the case. But when they could come up to staff and say, I need to manage feelings with you, and sometimes it would be great. And and then other times, you'd be like, Well, I didn't really appreciate blah, blah, blah, but I can do this, the other but it's that autonomy that the person has and also they feel strong enough to be able to say those things. And it doesn't have to be an answer after it. Yeah, it's just you discuss it, you process it, you live the feeling like all of that kind of stuff, you remember those things? And that is what I find so incredible. And I think that's why I love working at Portage because the potential to help youth find their best selves is so it can all happen at portage like we're a 55 acre facility that's like beautiful like when we would see deers and sometimes you get kids that are from inner cities that come in and I like them for some reason when I saw I saw the wild turkeys from the cross and I think I screamed because I've never seen a wild turkey before. And the cute thing remember there was a kid from Toronto right beside me he's like what are those like I think their dinosaurs and we started laughing I'm like really? I'm like no I don't think so. And then other people are laughing at us because we were so these keywords like people
Valentina 14:34
So portage like inside and out definitely kind of backs away from like that very hospital like
Helen 14:41
Oh yeah it's not medical model.
Aurora 14:42
No, no, no, like complete opposite.
Grace 14:45
Yeah, yeah. It really feels like when you walk in it really feels like a home. Yeah, not like a facility.
Aurora 14:52
Also like you find peace in nature. Like that was a huge thing for me like going on walks and everything. You can like mindfulness walks around
Helen 14:59
Yeah. Yeah. it's just so peaceful out there and like, it's easier to find yourself I guess.
Grace 15:06
Yeah like, I feel like for me, I needed like space to grow. And I didn't have that at home. So going to portage like gave me that space. And it was really like serene. And I was able to like write a lot Yea I remember the writing Or not put down my notebook. Yeah. I was always writing and I loved going outside. Like one time I just stumbled across a hot air like I woke up to a hot air balloon. Do you remember that?
Aurora 15:33
Yea oh my god Grace was calling trhough the window. There's a hot air balloon and we were all running around in our pajamas.
Grace 15:42
Yeah, Ive never seen you go so fast hahah
Helen 15:46
I know. I know. I think that's it, right? Like, you have there's no you're not in computers. So apart from obviously, with COVID, we had to adapt. And I think we adapted extremely well, we we had people that were really innovative in their thinking, and had to make sure that we could still serve clients that needed to come in. And, you know, you don't stop addiction just because COVID came, if anything is we know it's made it worse. So we had special things were put on the property they were they were like a step down unit. So somebody could go in, they could make sure that they were clear of COVID before they came into the program. And that was great, because that's when the induction phase kind of happened with them, with our workers that were in there. And it was really great was a great chance to get to know people. Other than that, like now, it happens within the community, as it always did. And it's just really, it was really great to watch how Portage continued to provide service to youth and families because it's not just youth during like, what was a very difficult time for everybody. I mean, the whole world was struggling, like, you know, and we were still open and ready to to provide service for our youth. So and I think the family part is really important. Because we provide family services Bonnie has been doing. She's been doing a lot she's and she's been doing the Family Service meetings and the parents just rave about her. She just does these amazing creative meetings. And it's fantastic that they've got such a bond. So we do this thing called Recognition Day. Okay. So recognition day is when we recognize those have graduated the program, because it is a big deal six months for anybody's a long time, six months when you're 15. Up to like, you know, 18-19 is a lot of stuff. Like we actually start with kids at 14to 18. But they can turn 19 in the program. And so we do a big day, and we have people sometimes play music people give like speeches or poems. I usually drop a microphone and maybe fall over the stand. Yes, that's okay. You can laugh Grace. We have all our staff as much as possible can come to the day we have cake and all that kind of fun stuff that and the parents come to. And we have a parent speaker. And that's really awesome. Because it is a family situation. And sometimes it can get really there can be a big struggle when people are in the program. And you kind of have to go through all that kind of stuff when you do your plan of care meetings every month. We do case conferences and that kind of stuff. So that's how it kind of works on a larger scale.
Valentina 18:25
So is it a very collaborative experience?
Helen 18:27
I would say? I would say so.
Grace 18:29
Yeah. Yeah.
Aurora 18:31
Yeah.
Valentina 18:31
Like you're in your plan of care. Like you are part of that.
Helen 18:34
Yeah its client centered. Yeah. Yeah, it absolutely is client centered. I think. And I don't know that you guys speak to this, because you were there. But I think the fact of having a voice directly in your plan of care, because they plan in advance, like the goals that they have. It's not the goals we have for them. It's the goals that they have for themselves. So that's done. And then you can talk through as you go through your your plan of care with your care team. So how did you guys find that to suddenly have a voice because some people don't have a voice right.
Aurora 19:04
Yeah, no, I think that was really like refreshing. Yeah, yeah. Really nice. Yeah. Yeah. And just being able to like advocate for yourself and knowing that yeah, the people around you want like the best outcome for you. So it was really nice. Yeah.
Grace 19:19
Yeah. It was nice, but also really felt like really odd at first. Yeah. Like it like it was all like put on me.
Helen 19:26
Yeah, sure. Sure. For sure.
Grace 19:28
I'm, I'm really indecisive. So I just didn't know what I wanted
Helen 19:33
You were also very young when you came in.
Grace 19:34
Yeah I was 14. Yeah, exactly. I don't want to be like, I don't want to make that decision.
Helen 19:39
Hahahah. Yeah, for sure.
Valentina 19:42
So in addition to learning how to self advocate, what are some other lessons that you learned at Portage that you implement now into your day to day life?
Aurora 19:52
The taking a step back, we didn't explain what that is. Let's do that. It's when like your emotions just kind of are built up. Whether that's you're sad, you're upset with someone disappointed anything. And it's just too much, you just have to take a step back from the situation like regroup in your head, like go through what's kind of going on up there. And once you feel good and calm down, that's when you go and manage your feelings. By taking a step back has been like a huge, huge thing for me. And it gets implemented like everyday when I have like anxiety, like mindfulness, any any situation, it's really useful for you, even when you're super happy. And you just get like, overwhelmed with like, excitement. Sometimes I'm like, Okay, this is too much now I sit with it.
Helen 20:41
Hahaha I think I need to learn that more.
Valentina 20:45
When you take that step back, is there something like an outlet? Or something specific that you do afterwards? Or do you kind of just sit with it, take it in. And then what happens?
Aurora 20:56
I like sit with the thought kind of go through like the process of depending on what like, what emotion is coming through, go through, like the process of where that came from. And yeah, just like sit with it, like, zone myself back in, I guess. And yeah, I'm ready to go.
Valentina 21:14
Nice. And how about yourself, Grace? What was something what was a lesson that really stuck with you that you implement now?
Grace 21:22
Um, I think self regulation, like Aurora said, I think another one is I'm very impulsive, very impulsive. And I think being able to control those impulses and like, be able to, like think before I act, and not just kind of, like, I always think of it like fight flight or freeze. Yeah, and I'm very good at running places. But so I think that helped me a lot without like, working on impulses. And I think I learned a lot of like, small lessons. Like, I remember learning, like a lot about self confidence. Yes. Um, a lot about just integrity and self worth. And just learning like, what my value is.
Helen 22:17
Thats amazing. That's amazing.
Grace 22:19
Yeah.
Valentina 22:19
Do you mind sharing a little bit?
Grace 22:21
I think I went in, I struggled a lot with my image and Portage when it came to like eating and all of that stuff. I needed an outlet to for like, my control. Yeah. And I think that I realized, like, it was it's not it was kind of about how I looked. But it wasn't, it was all about like control and getting that control. And I realized that along the line that it's like, my worth isn't equated to my body and how I look. And I am like, I'm more than that. And I'm not only and like, I'm looking at control, I'm looking to gain control. But I'm looking at I need to I realize the difference between control and freedom. Yeah, I may have been, I may have had a semblance of control but I wasn't free. Like that's what Portage gives you. It gives you that freedom. And it doesn't mean you're going to be sober. For sure. It just what Portage gives you as a choice. Yeah, it gives you the like, you can if someone hands you drugs, for example, it you're not just going to take them whether it's one second 10 seconds or six hours, you're gonna think about it before you pick them up.
Helen 23:42
Yeah, I think I think that is a big thing. I think the other thing too, it's really great to hear you're like, you know, none, acquainting one thing to the other. And I think that's a message that really has to go out to youth that are out there. We were apart of the Wellington Guelph Drug strategy. And there were other agencies that were involved, where youth were giving input into what they needed when they were in their addiction and what they would have liked to see. And Grace came up with some really good ideas and things. And there's other kids as well. They all kind of said the same thing, right? Do you remember some of those things you would have liked to see? Um like the loneliness was a big one, and also making sure that information about addiction and why the addiction is happening, or not being alone a lot kind of stuff. It has to be available, where youth can see it at a young age, because I think there's a bit of a misconception that once a kid turns to be a teenager, that that's when it starts to happen. And when reality that's not always the case because you were saying about putting the the information sheets we've talked about put them inside the washroom stall so that then people could read them privately. But the other thing was to do it in primary school right?
Grace 24:55
There in like elementary school. I think that's so important. Um, getting that message out. Because in elementary school, like there was very much like drinking and drug use, you know, I started using like, very, very young. And there was no access to anything. No access to resources. And you're not going to not everyone's has that option of turning to their parents and guardians and ask that.Yes. Yeah. So it needs to be better available for sure.
Helen 25:20
Yeah, for sure.
Valentina 25:33
So I feel like you both touched on this a little bit. But what did the whole experience at Portage mean to you.
Aurora 25:40
Um, for me, I think it meant like giving myself a chance at life. Like, shortly after I got out, I lost a lot of friends in like, a short period of time. And like to drug overdoses. And it really like put in perspective how easily that could have been me. And how scary like the reality of that is. And when you're in your addiction, you don't see that and like the people around you have to suffer with that, which is really hard on them. And being able to like say that you deserve to get better, is like a huge thing in itself. Wanting to be sober, and like thinking about it is one thing, but wanting to like live a better life and thinking did not even thinking like knowing that you deserve it is a whole a whole thing in itself. And just taught me how to be like, very grateful for what I was given. Yeah.
Helen 26:40
Thats awesome.
Grace 26:42
I think for me, like Aurora said like it gave me the hope and gave me made may be able to persevere and gave me like allowed me to give life another chance. Because I was at a point in my life where I wasn't. I didn't want to, I was like I was ready to kind of like I've been using for like a long time, almost like half a decade. And I just I was ready to give up. And Portage, like, showed me that there was another way. And like, well, there's a will there's a way.
Valentina 27:25
So before we came in here, you guys told me that you guys were in the same there at the same time. And you guys are still close now, which is awesome. So was there someone you were able to count on during your time there other than each other? Or if it was only each other? Can you share a little bit about that experience together?
Grace 27:47
Honestly, I can count on probably every single person there. I don't think there's a person that I couldn't count on. There are times when I didn't want to.
Helen 27:57
Hahaha I think you and I had a few of those chats.
Grace 28:01
Yeah, for sure. I had a staff member in particular, that we would get in fights particularly because I was denied Tylenol a few times that I really didn't need, but I wanted really bad. But I think I could rely on everyone there. Especially like all the girls there. Aurora in particular, I think that we had like, honestly, we had the best like therapy like chats like doing like having like dinner or lunch together or like even doing chores.
Aurora 28:37
Yeah no, Grace, and I always had a very good time. Yeah, no, it's basically the same for me. Like I could rely on everybody there. The girls were like a huge, a huge piece of it Grace. Of course, it was like my support system. And then when Grace graduated, it was a very sad time. But yeah, you get like very close with everyone. And you also take into consideration like you're living with all those people for up to six months. So you're gonna get into it here and there. But yeah, at the end of the day, you take your step back and manage your feelings.
Helen 29:10
And up you go! You wake up the next day, and you're fine. Yeah. Yeah. I think it's was really great just watching you to now because I mean, there's been a long time since I've just watched you guys. And I mean, I just would like to say, I've worked with these guys for a long time in aftercare. And it's really incredible to see you guys now and to see all your accomplishments and it just makes I guess. I'm just proud of you guys.
Valentina 29:40
Yeah, this is beautiful.
Aurora 29:43
Thank you.
Valentina 29:45
As you can tell everyone, this is the warmest room I've ever been in right now.
Grace 29:51
I'm just tired thats all hahaha.
Valentina 29:54
Okay, let's move on. Let's take a deep breath.
Aurora 30:00
Ooo that was nice.
Valentina 30:05
So if you could, what would you say to your younger self coming through those Portage doors for the first time?
Grace 30:13
I would say that you're not alone. And I would tell myself that I tell myself three things, you are not alone. There is another way, and that you are worth fighting for.
Helen 30:27
Yeah. Great.
Aurora 30:29
I think of when I first when I was 15, and I would tell that younger version of myself that, yeah, like you're not alone, and that you can do this. And that when you are ready to get help. It is right there waiting for you. But it's not going to be helpful. Unless you're ready, and you actually want it.
Valentina 30:57
Thats beautiful. Thank you. Um, so Helen was telling me before you guys got here that you're up to your own lives doing your own things. So what are you up to now? And what are some goals that you have?
Aurora 31:13
I just started full time working in the past two weeks after I graduated high school finally.
Helen 31:21
Woo hoo yay!
Aurora 31:24
It was a long time coming, but I was finally able to accomplish that and it was a very big step for me. So that was awesome. And goals. I think just probably working, saving up money. I'm gonna get a truck!
Valentina 31:41
Nice!
Aurora 31:41
Hopefully within the year
Helen 31:43
A red one hahah
Aurora 31:43
Yes a red one haha. yeah, then hopefully go to college and do like public speaking for addictions. Just like this is kind of what I want to do.
Valentina 31:55
Thats amazing. It's a great start.
Helen 31:59
Do you still want to go to was it Turtle Island? Whats that island you wanted to go to?
Aurora 32:04
I think it was Pink beach.
Helen 32:05
Pink beach! Yeah! Yes, that's it. I remember that from your exit plan.
Valentina 32:17
I need to google that right now.
Grace 32:22
I have not been doing much for the last couple days. But I am a full time student. I'm on summer break right now and desperately needed a job. Because I had to leave my last job. But anyways,
Valentina 32:40
Everyone hit up Grace. She's looking for a job.
Helen 32:43
She's available. She's amazing.
Aurora 32:45
Hard worker. Resume will be in the description hahaha.
Grace 32:52
Yeah, but I'm honestly just the personal chauffeur for my brother, my sister.
Helen 32:58
Yeah but you got your. So you got what did you get?
Grace 33:00
Oh, yeah, I got my G2 so now Im the personal chauffeur for everyone.
Helen 33:06
For sure, for sure. The other thing you'd been doing and don't forget this. So these days are kind of like at the mentorship stage in aftercare. So they do a lot of they really do a lot of coaching. So it's another thing that's done at portage, there's so much stuff done there like really call us and come for a tour, come and see us. And really, you'll see how wonderful it is out there. But Grace actually helped us with the Ignite concert along with another person that we were there with. And it was really great. We were like Grace was really interactive. I mean, me and Grace, Grace probably was really embarrassed with with me wearing some kind of Portage thing on my head looking like Axl Rose from 1991. But we had a lot of fun doing that. And the great thing was is that Grace has been speaking in public, I know that Aurora wants to do it. So it's now it kind of takes on this new role. Where so you go through your stuff, you start to grow, you're hitting your goals, which happens at different times. But then I noticed that a lot of people really want to then give back to their community, and really get the message out there. There's help out there. Yeah, like, and it doesn't have to cost money. It can be covered by all sorts of things. And that's the other thing. If anybody out there is in need, and wants to talk to somebody and wants to even just get some information, they can call Portage. And we would definitely love to like we do tours as well. That's the other thing. And usually the youth do the tours with the kids. So it's, it's a case of again, it's peer to peer right from the beginning of the moment you get out of the gate. And so again, I think that gives a person a sense of feeling like they're one with somebody else. Right. So I think that's the wonderful thing, right? So these guys are entering the mentorship phase. So I'm going to be bringing them in I think pretty regularly to work with the youth that are there. I mean, you did that Grace remember wewent in and talk to the to the female community about what Like, before we went to the Ignite concer. Yeah. And I stayed afterward to eat dinner with them. Yeah. It was really lovely. I think they're, they're amazing, like women. And I think that being able to speak to someone and see that like, there's a way out of the tunnel. Yes. Yeah. Like people actually do do this. Yeah, exactly. Sounds crazy, but it actually happens. I think that was helpful for them and seeing it was also helpful for me just to be able to kind of pass on that message, because you can only keep what you have by giving it away.
Valentina 33:07
Wohooooo!
Helen 35:33
Yeah. Yeah. There's a lot of so our youth at Portage right now they know the podcast is going on. They're very excited about it. And again, it gives everybody a perspective, there's one thing that I think I want to talk about the little three month, where you hit the three month wall.
Grace 35:33
Oh, yeah, the three month wall!
Helen 35:54
So they're there for six months, right? So, you know, there's a lot of stuff to do theres. And then it seems to be that a lot of people aound at three months, everything kind of goes a little bit like, I want to go and I'm doing really well. Now it's time for me to go. It's time for me to go. It's time for me to go. And I totally understand that. Because I think is, as teens well, even people dont kind of want to be in the same place all the time. But it's coming up over that wall. And then it's like, people just kind of grab hold, and they just go for it right to the end. And that's an incredible thing to watch happen. Because we see that so often. And we're like, Okay, keep processing, we'll see what's going on. And again, it's voluntary. So if somebody really wants to leave, they could they can go like, you know, but to watch someone persevere and go through that wall is is brilliant to watch.
Grace 36:38
Yeah. I hit it. I hit it once around two months. Yeah. And then once again, a lot harder at four. Yeah. And I just likebloted, literally, like literally, literally bolted, and just ran as fast as I could, as far as I could did not get very far and just sat on a corner waiting for somebody to pick me up.
Valentina 37:02
Do you feel it's harder or easier as time goes by?
Grace 37:06
Um, I would say the first month is the hardest. And the last month is harder. Because you're just like, so like, I want to leave. Yeah. But the first month you're like, Oh, this is a really long time.
Aurora 37:21
Yeah it seems like for ever, when you first get there, you're like, half of the year. Like, that's so much time. But really, you get through it and you're like, Okay, well, I feel like I've walked through the doors yesterday. And I feel like everybody says that, and I truthfully mean it.
Grace 37:39
Yea I think like you hit that wall, I hit that wall. And I feel like, for me, at least I like afterthat, I came back. And we had this whole big meeting about me wanting like I wanted to stay. And I like after that, like, I worked really, really hard, for sure. And like I I got to phase four. And then I got to Phase Five. And then I graduated, like running a whole program.
Helen 38:01
Yeah, yeah. That's the other thing. So there's phases, right. So as people go through, and they learn different skills as they're going through the 21 competencies as well. That's a ginormous list, you can look that up online as well to remember some of the competencies
Aurora 38:17
To be consistent.
Helen 38:18
Yeah.
Aurora 38:19
To be empathetic.
Grace 38:21
To be able to solve problems to be able to take supervision.
Helen 38:26
Yeah, the competencies are really great. So I mean, we can maybe send something as an attachment to then you can actually see what the competencies are. It's great because they're 21 things that people can, can learn from. And then sometimes when you're going through something, I would say to the youth, okay, so what I think the first thing to always say is, what are you doing really great. And then what are some of the things on the competency list that you're having a little struggle with? And who do you think can help you? And that's the other thing. So everything that's done at Portage has a therapy, modeling mind, right? So even when they're sitting down for dinner, these engagements, which they plan what they're going to talk about, and then they explore each other so that that's another thing. Sometimes you get to bottom lines. And then even when you guys are doing chores, you're still doing therapy, still talking about this kind of thing. So sort of we're evolving, like constant. Every minute, the day apart from when you're sleeping, I think you can probably in your sleep, you've started to kind of start to go through your brain so and living your best life, right.
Valentina 39:27
I really want to go back to when you both hit that wall. What is something that you want to share with others that kind of kept you going?
Aurora 39:37
Okay, well, I'll speak as someone who hit that wall and completely plummeted over it the first time like, adios, I was gone. And yeah, after leaving, I instantly regretted it. Honestly, I didn't want to admit that at all. Especially not to my mom. But yeah, and it was just really a downward spiral from that I was like, Okay, well, whatever, it'll be fine. I just don't care attitude. It was all fine in my mind. But hitting that three month wall, and like climbing over it and coming out on the other side, it's really hard. But I think you just like constantly have to remind yourself about what you want in life. And you're not going to get there, if you don't do this, like that was always a thought that was in the back of my mind. Like, you need to do this to get to where you want to be in life
Helen 40:36
To get the goals that you want.
Valentina 40:38
And following the competence that you just said consistency.
Helen 40:41
Yeah, they're really, they're really quite basic and simple things. Which can have such a huge impact on someone's life. And staff staff uses those competencies too like, it's amazing how I do it without thinking now at home and and it's just becomes part of who you are. Yea for sure.
Valentina 41:02
How about yourself Grace?
Grace 41:03
Um, I think that for me, like, again, you are worth it. And I would tell others no matter what, like, there's more to life than what you're going through.
Helen 41:18
And it's for a short time. Yeah. Like, I think that's the thing. I think a lot of times, people, they get stuck on the six months, right? And I don't care if you're a youth or if you're an adult, right? You do get stuck on that six months. And there's a guy that we work with, and he's really great, because he's, he's, he's just really good with kids. He's very honest, and very direct, very caring. But what he always says is one day at a time, and if you cant do a day, one minute at a time.
Aurora 41:48
I was just gonna say that. Right as it came out of Helens mouth.
Helen 41:54
Which is really great, because you see somebody who's who's older and is good at what he's doing. But what he does is it makes it again, simple. And something neat, too. When you go into that and you're hitting the wall, and you're seeing another three months ago, no, I don't want to do it again. And then somebody comes along and says, Just do a minute, just do an hour, just do whatever. Like it's just putting it back into chunks. And I think that was a big thing was a huge help. Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
Grace 42:22
It's the day like the days are like, super like, timewise you wake up really early. You go to bed at a decent hour. Yeah. But you're so scheduled, yeah, that but it just whips right by and it's and the amount of like I, we used to make jokes about this, how, like, a month on the outside is a week at Portage. Like it just go like, yeah, life goes on, like at 100 times speed.
Aurora 42:51
And then I think you also need to think like, it is a six month program. But that whole six months, could save the rest of your life. Like that six months. Now you're sober for the rest of your life, like you could be on your sober journey for the rest of your life. And it may not have turned out that way. If you didn't spend only six months, it seems like such a long time. Six months, people live like 80 years, six months is nothing *laughter*.
Grace 43:20
Um, I think there was a lot of people, especially in my program, where like, I'm gonna miss my siblings birthday. Like, I'm not going to spend time with my family. But you have to kind of look at it like, well, you're you're going to be present for the next one. Yeah. Do you want to be around? Would you rather be around for like, six months of your life? Or the rest of it?
Helen 43:42
Yeah, exactly. Its perspective, right. Yeah. Yeah. It's always perspective. And I think that's something that happens. A lot. Perceptions are a huge thing. Not only so you may say something like, a youth may say something. And the wonderful thing is when you see the other peers challenge, maybe something that they've saying and say, You know what, I think that really what you're doing right now is trying to justify this and do this. And then it's a hard process to try and watch that. But when peers and peers do it together, it can be listened to sometimes when an adult is saying it to a youth, it can seem like it's a direction or it's not taken so well. When it's peer to peer. It's a whole different beautiful thing.
Valentina 44:24
It takes like the power differential away.
Helen 44:28
It gets taken away. But it's also because you can identify
Aurora 44:30
They dont feel any authority No, like, no, it's just like your friend like I would want my friend to tell me if I was gonna do something stupid. It's like that same type of like, friend conversation. Like, is this really the smartest thing that you could be doing right now? And it's not like somebody's coming down on you.
Valentina 44:50
Yeah.
Helen 44:51
It's healthy its processing and it also teaches, it teaches you how to interact in the world outside of Portage. So a lot of times When when people are going through stuff, and they might say, I'm ready to go. And then they may act out in the fact that they start to kind of rebel a little bit. Or they may say, No, I'm totally fine, I can go ahead. And then they do stuff, what you do is you kind of reflect some of the behavior that maybe they're doing at this point. And saying, Okay, let's, let's think about if you did that on, like, everybody says, on the outs on the outs, like, how could that go? If say, you were working with an employer, or you were with your parents, or where you were living? Whatever it is? So you take Yes, granted, when you come into Portage, you are in a very safe environment. But when you can actually get it to relate to the outside world, that exact situation. And that's another thing that I see happen all the time. How would this actually work for you on the outs? And that's such an important question that gets asked all the time. Yeah.
Valentina 45:52
Awesome. So thank you guys, so much for everything you've said, everything you've shared, you've all been so open, so honest, and so brave. And I really thank you for being here. To conclude, I wanted to ask all of you, what do you want people to know, I know, you've all said a lot of a lot of things that you want people to know. But main thing, what's something that you want people to know, what does this podcast mean for you? And you want it to mean for other people?
Aurora 46:21
Recovery is possible.
Helen 46:25
Yeah.
Grace 46:26
I think you're worth recovery. And you're, you're worth, like, the work that it takes.
Helen 46:34
Yeah, for sure. I think for me, having seen a lot and also seeing the toxicity level that we have with, especially everybody knows with fentanyl, and the level of drugs that are out there. I want people to be safe. And there's so many wonderful agencies that are helping, including the Grove by having the opening the doors to youth, so they can talk to people I think engagement with the community because we also do community outreach now. And that's a wonderful thing for people to be engaged. So again, it's safety, security, the ability to have a new life. And I think if you want to come to Portage, even if you just want to start a conversation, you can call us and we can definitely start that process with you. We're there to walk with you. And then your community's there to help you grow, right. And then after you do that, then you come into aftercare and the families and family services. So it's just continuing kind of organically growing thing. I can honestly say that working at Portage has been one heck of an experience in the fact that you actually see growth in some youth where sometimes you see that there's, there's so much stuff that they have to battle. And I think that you guys are in a completely different time to how I grew up. And you werent bombarded with images and all that kind of stuff, right. And also, when you go into Portage, all that gets taken away, and then you can focus on yourself. So if you need help, please call us 519-846-0945. And our intake line is 9273. So again, that's 519-846-0945 and intake is 9273 Give us a call and we can start a conversation. I also wanted to add that a lot of the problem with people when they want to come into treatment anywhere is I hear a lot of how much does it cost. The wonderful thing about Portage is that it is covered. So please do not let that be a barrier that gets in your way. We are here again to walk with you and to make sure that you have access to the best treatment that there is available. Thank you.
Valentina 48:41
All right, everyone. So this concludes today's episode. I want to thank Helen, Grace and Aurora for taking the time to sit down with me and bring their experiences in such beautiful words to this podcast. If you or any loved ones are experiencing something similar and want to find help the portage doors welcome you and the Grove doors welcome you to like Helen said take it one day at a time and if you can't do a day, take one minute at a time. Take care of yourselves and stay tuned for some more get with the grove episodes in the next few weeks. Thanks everyone. *outro mu