Sarah Tracy Centre for Women

In June 2014, Bridges of Canada opened the Sarah Tracy Centre for Women, a residential substance abuse treatment facility with the capacity to serve 21 women for a nine-to-twelve month program. The Sarah Tracy Centre treats women who struggle with addiction, and those women who, along with addiction, may also struggle with mental illness, and/or criminal activity. The program offers a continuum of care to rehabilitate each client to an improved level of physical, mental (emotional), and spiritual health.

Each client is assessed by a multi-disciplinary team for the development of an Individual Treatment Plan that best meets her needs. The holistic treatment program is transformative in nature, empowering women to make positive life changes through education and vocation courses, life skills, 12-Step programming, therapeutic counselling, and spiritual care.

The program is implemented in three phases:

Phase I – Intensive Substance Abuse Treatment (3 to 4 months)

• Accountability and Therapeutic Groups
• Addiction Education
• Individual Counselling Sessions
• Organized Recreation
• Wellness
• Substance Abuse Treatment

Phase II – Employment (3 to 4 months)

• Employment Education
• Therapeutic Groups
• Employment in the Community

Phase III – Community Reintegration (3 to 4 months)

• Recovery Maintenance
• Community Reintegration

With the help of licensed professionals, clients develop and implement a long-term plan for recovery. The major modality of the program is the Therapeutic Community (TC) Model. With staff supervision, this peer-led, peer-driven environment encourages clients to become active participants in their recovery through the following ten concepts:

1. Practicing Self-Help and Mutual-Help
2. Practicing Positive Role Modeling
3. Practicing Social Learning
4. Practicing the concept of no “We/They” dichotomy
5. Promoting upward mobility and earned privilege system
6. Practicing “Acting as If”
7. Understanding the relationship of belonging and individuality
8. Understanding the function of a belief system in the Therapeutic Community
9. Participating in the Group Process
10. Maintaining Written Assignments

The Sarah Tracy Centre offers the following programs and services:

• 12 Step Big Book
• Addiction Education
• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Alternative Measures
• Anger Management
• Bible Study
• Bottle Family
• Bridge Builders Faith-Based 12-Step Program
• Changing Criminal Thinking
• Chaplaincy Services
• Culinary Arts
• Employment Skills
• GED Education
• Greenhouse Training
• Grief Counselling
• John Howard Society
• Knitting
• Organized Recreation
• Substance Abuse Treatment
• Therapeutic Community Concepts

In addition to our full time staff of 15 members, we connect with volunteers and community partners who can provide additional services to meet the individual needs of the clients we serve. Following is a sampling of our community partners:

• AIDS NB
• Dr. Dianne Stackhouse
• Fredericton Junction Health Centre
• Gladstone Mission Church – Pastor Stephen Aubin
• Jolly Farmer
• Oromocto Food Bank
• Pastor Gary Gray
• St. Mark’s Anglican Church
• The Medicine Shoppe
• Village of Hope Food Bank
• Women’s Church Ministries

We are currently accepting clients 19 and older.

For more information, please contact Donna Knappe via email or at 506.368.2477.