Our Services

Admission to Tamarack: Prospective clients should have 28 days abstinence from addictions prior to admission. Our clients will have completed an addiction treatment or equivalent educational program within the past two years.  They agree to urinalysis or breathalyzer tests on admission and if asked during their treatment.  Our clients agree to attend four 'Twelve Step' recovery group meetings a week.  Funding for our program is generally arranged prior to admission. Admission is done anytime the client is ready to start, rather than at regulated startup dates, in other words on a continuous basis. Please contact us via email or telephone 775-1328.

Group Therapy: We conduct groups twice daily, Monday to Friday. Morning groups are structured group therapy sessions focusing on one of 45 different recovery and life-skills areas. These include anger and emotional management, assertion, conflict resolution, interpersonal skills, genograms, family dysfunction, cognitive behavioural self awareness, relapse prevention and Twelve-Step group recovery, to name just a few.  Each afternoon Tamarack clients participate in traditional 'Here and Now' group therapy where they interact with each other and a counsellor who functions as both member and group leader. All group members are expected to support, challenge and provide feedback to other members as the situation indicates. Our client groups become the social microcosm where responsibility and accountability based empowerment, self-determination, self-awareness, and healing can occur.

Individual Counselling:  Clients work with an addictions rehabilitation counsellor during their stay at Tamarack. Individual counselling sessions are scheduled once or twice a week.  An individualized recovery plan is started and developed as the program progresses. Tamarack counsellors use the Rogerian 'Person-Centered' approach to establish a therapeutic alliance with a client. With this in place, sessions can be used explore personal areas that have been covered-up or avoided for years. A variety of counselling methods are used. These include a variant of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy called Schema Therapy to identify problematic core beliefs and the self-defeating coping behaviours that grow from them as well as elements of both Existential and Narrative therapy. We encourage individuals to find and develop some form of spiritual self awareness that has personal value and meaning, an approach that has proven effective for probably the majority of actual recoveries that take place.

Employee Assistance Program: Tamarack works with a network of employers and Union organizers to facilitate placement of substance abusing / addicted employees in our program. Tamarack has a dedicated staff member who coordinates this process and explains our service structure to agencies and organizations in Western Canada and the Mid-Western United States.

Follow-up Program:  Tamarack provides Aftercare support to clients for an unlimited period after completing the program. Once a week for one to two hours, they meet at Tamarack Recovery Centre's 60 Balmoral facility in a group setting to discuss 'Here and Now' issues such as work, relationships, emotions, relapses or near relapses, problem solving, and health. Tamarack's Aftercare Counsellor facilitates this process and serves as the members’ mentor and life skills coach.

Research and evaluation:  Tamarack Recovery Centre conducts evidence based outcome studies and linear tracking in order to identify methods and philosophies that correlate with recovery and rehabilitation, i.e. abstinence based personal growth and progress.

Hours of Operation: Program hours are 9:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Monday to Friday.  We ask our residents to follow house rules, curfews, to be present for meals and assist with basic household chores and duties.

Staffing: Tamarack has a staff of 10. This includes our Executive Director, Business Manager, addictions Counsellors, Residential Care Workers, and Cook.  Tamarack is staffed seven days a week, 24-hours a day, all year. All our staff are part of the Tamarack Therapeutic Community.

Board and Lodging:  Board and lodging includes access to laundry and supplies, bedding, towels, etc., all meals, and 24-hour care in a clean, safe, respectful place. Clients share a room with secure storage for their belongings.