Fourcast Addiction Services
Fourcast understands the difficulties that can arise from substance use and gambling. Their compassionate and professional staff members have been helping individuals and their families for more than 25 years. Working together, they help people suffering from addiction to choose and follow the treatment path that is right for them.
Fourcast’s goal is to support its clients by empowering them to make their own choices in an open, non-judgmental atmosphere. The focus is always on encouraging positive change.
Here at Wild Rock, our first experience with Fourcast was when we decided to support their Consumption and Treatment Site downtown. This controversial decision was met with immediate benefits when we saw an immediate decrease in drug use on and around our property on Charlotte Street. At the time that we made the decision to support the CTS I (Kieran) was asked for a comment and responded, “I would rather see one safe consumption site downtown rather than dozens of unsafe consumption sites, which is the way it is now”. I hold that belief to this day!
Questions For Fourcast
George Currie
Briefly tell us what role Fourcast plays here in Peterborough.
Fourcast has been providing compassionate and professional addiction treatment services for individuals and families for over 25 years. We understand that difficulties that can arise from substance use and gambling and working together will help individuals choose a treatment path that is right for them. Fourcast provides treatment options across a continuum with Harm Reduction at the core of service delivery and encourages individuals to make their own choices in an open, non-judgemental approach.
Fourcast has been an active community collaborator and continues to collaborate with many community service partners across Peterborough, Northumberland County, City of Kawartha Lakes – Haliburton County in both addiction treatment and housing programs. Our most recent collaboration was the successful approval of Peterborough’s Consumption and Treatment Site (CTS).
In what way do you feel that Fourcast serves the greater community rather than just its clients?
Substance use and gambling concerns are health concerns that impact individuals, families, and communities. At Fourcast we aim to support not only individuals and families but also provide community-wide training and education, be an active partner for community initiatives and responses and engage in advocacy and funding opportunities to meet the needs of the communities we serve.
What do you wish more people knew and or understood about the work that Fourcast does?
Addiction is not something you can just “stop” and it does not define an individual. It is a complex health concern that often requires a continuum of supports, a multidisciplinary approach and a welcoming, hopeful, non-judgemental space to be heard.
Can you share a great story, outcome or statistic that can help to spread hope in our community?
In the first 12 months the CTS was open, 316 unique service users accessed this low-barrier service and a total of 7,777 consumptions occurred with 125 referrals made to addiction services, primary health care and mental health and crisis supports. The CTS team prevented over 70 drug-related fatalities in the first year of service.
Understanding that Fourcast is not in need of additional funding right now, what might you ask of Wild Rock and our customers?
Fourcast services are funded through healthcare. While our staffing and program expenses are covered by those budgets there are often incidental costs that arise that are not eligible under health funding such as transportation from residential withdrawal management or treatment programs as well as miscellaneous items or expenses that may be incurred to prepare for treatment. Additionally, our housing programs provide housing for people exiting homelessness from outside living who require substantial support to gather items to start a home. Any donations we receive as set aside for these types of scenarios.