Optimus Template

Glenn Barnes spoke at the Rotary Club of Nepean - Kanata (RCNK) last Thursday (July 22, 2010) to discuss the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Center.

Glen trained as lawyer and has spent a great deal of his work history in hospital administration.  He is currently working for the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre following a number of years with the Champlain Local Health Integration Network. 

By way of introduction, Glen provided an interesting background on brain formation of an adolescent which shows the brain maturing over a period of 15 years concluding about age 20.  The introduction of drugs and/or alcohol during the teen years impacts the linkages between the front and rear portions of the brain.  Glen also provided some of the data highlighting the incidence of abuse during teen years and the implications of this abuse.
 
Glen was tasked by the CLHIN to prepare a model of Care for a 40 bed adolescent (ages 13 to 17) residential drug and alcohol program.  In the end, Glen submitted a clinical plan based on 28 beds for 13 to 17 year olds with an operating budget of about $4M and involved the family, aftercare, methodologies to deal with drop-out rates, solutions for  ER admissions and ongoing research into treatment modalities.  In June of 2008, the Provincial Government offered funding for 20 beds at an estimated operating budget of  $2.4M  not $4M as anticipated.  In order to provide a beneficial Glen proposed that Alwood, located in Carleton Place and the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre join forces conditional on $540K of existing funding for DSYTC remained.  This would allow a residential treatment program that would have a lower per bed cost while providing for more health care positions to provide better treatment.  Under this treatment program each participant would on a daily basis receive:  2 hours psychotherapy, 1 on 1; 3 to 4 hours psychoeducation either/or 1 on 1 or in group, with groups being open in nature allowing for more than one group to operate at the same time; 4 hours of classroom eduation and constant role modeling.
 
As Alwood’s mandate was for the treatment of 16 to 23 year olds and DSYTC’s mandate was for the treatment of 13 to 17 year olds, a compromise was reached which created the 13 to 21 year range.  For now the DSYTC will remain at its Bronson location while the female component has moved to a Royal Ottawa facility located in Carp.  The male component is to be run from the former Alwood facility.  It is hoped that by 2014, all services can be relocated to a permanent home on 12 acres of land purchased in Carp.  To realize this dream, the Capital requirements are $6.5M of which the Rotary Clubs of Ottawa and easter Ontario are being asked to provide $1M over ten years.
 
Glen’s presentation resulted in a large number of questions which Glen ably addressed.
 
Glen was introduced by Sue Kolar and thanked by Diane.