“I needed this in my life”: Battlefords Treatment Centre rebuilds lives through culture and care

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“We do our treatment through a holistic lens, emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual,” said Darlene Marchuk, Clinical Director for Poundmaker’s Lodge and the Battlefords site. “The ceremonies, the Elders, the knowledge keepers in our community, bringing that all together helps to heal the spirit and reconnect with yourself.”

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Central to this healing is the integration of the medicine wheel, emphasizing balance across all four quadrants of a person’s being. Through a mix of traditional First Nations, Métis, and Inuit spirituality, 12-step programs like AA and NA, lectures, and group therapy, the Centre offers a full spectrum recovery experience.

(Battlefords Treatment Centre/Website)

One client, now three weeks into her journey at the Centre, spoke about what brought her here and how it’s changed her life.

“I was excited to be here. I knew I needed this in my life,” she shared. “I was a product of my addictions. I was actually quite successful for a long time working as a nurse, and then I got into my addictions and basically lost everything.”

She said the Centre had always been in her mind when thinking about sobriety, partly because it’s close to home, and her family is nearby.

“The very first call I made for rehab was here, and they said they had a spot for me. I was beyond pumped. I want to be sober. I’m a better person when I’m sober, and I want to get everything that I had back so I can have a home for my family.”

Now well into her treatment, she describes a deep connection to the program, especially the cultural aspects, which have helped her process emotion and trauma in new and healing ways.

“I never really connected with my deeper culture before, but our cultural coordinator teaches us these amazing oral histories and stories. We smudge, we bead, and use colors to express how we’re feeling. Our feelings come out through our artwork, it’s really helpful.”

Her goal when she completes the program? To give back.

“I want to work in addictions or help people in some way, that’s where my heart is.”

According to Marchuk, about 50 per cent of the Centre’s 116 clients to date have completed the full 42-day treatment. That statistic, while promising, also speaks to the ongoing challenges many face – challenges the Centre is determined to help break down.

“There are a lot of barriers to getting into treatment,” Marchuk explained. “We’re asking: how do we work together as a community? How do we get people to us who are looking for help? How do we kick down those barriers?”

Some of those barriers include access to medical assessments and transportation especially for individuals living in rural areas or on reserves.

“People require medicals to come into treatment. What’s available in the community? What’s available on the reserve? How can they access that medical?” Marchuk noted. “Transportation is another big one, how do people from out of town get to the Centre?”

Events like Wednesday’s community engagement session were designed to begin answering those questions. It brought together local partners and residents for meaningful discussion and brainstorming on how to improve accessibility and support.

For many clients, the program has been life changing not only because of the tools it provides but because of the people who guided them.

“One of the most influential people here is the program co-ordinator,” the client shared. “He challenges you and makes you think and reflect. It made me dive deeper into the feelings I was feeling and helped me move on my path to recovery.”

She also had words of encouragement for others hesitant to seek help.

“It’s not as hard as it seems. I avoided rehab for a long time because I was scared to face the feelings and trauma. But once I got here, they were able to format it in a way that you have all the tools available to face those challenges and you have people around you that understand and are supporting you,” she said.

And that’s the message the Battlefords Treatment Centre wants to amplify, that healing is possible, and no one has to do it alone.

“Knowing who you are as an individual, and connecting to your spirit through ceremony, that’s where the healing begins,” said Marchuk. “You don’t have to be Indigenous to have a spiritual connection. We accept all people. Anyone can come to us.”

—
austin.mattes@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @AustinMattes