the branch
Tamarack Recovery Centre's newsletter 
reaching out to supporters, stakeholders and friends
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                             Winter 2015
IN THIS ISSUE...
clientstory

My Tamarack Experience

 

"What Aftercare Means to Me"

  

When I think about how I felt during my first days at Tamarack, oh my gosh, I was so scared! But the clients and staff all took me under their wing and welcomed me. I even remember being told "we will love you until you love yourself". That was so important to hear, especially at that time when I wasn't sure anybody cared... [Read More Here]

 

Middle Age is 
2 Months Away!

 

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On April 29th Tamarack will officially turn 40 years old.

We plan to celebrate this milestone with you so watch this space for announcements about our birthday celebrations. Don't forget to spread the word to anyone you know who'd be interested in joining us -

 

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Welcome!
Greetings! 

Happy New Year and welcome to the new look Tamarack Newsletter! It's been a year since the launch of The Branch and in keeping with Tamarack's commitment to excellence we're changing it up to keep things interesting and meet our readers' needs.

 

You'll see this issue features a new format - read news in brief right in your inbox, then click on the links for more in-depth stories.

 

In this issue you'll read about our new Aftercare Program, find out more about our Aftercare Program Coordinator and hear from a long-time Aftercare participant who talks about what aftercare means to her in My Tamarack Experience.

 

Keeping the new year in mind, we have a new look 'Did You Know?' section that brings you recovery related articles from the web with a focus on new year's resolutions and will power. And with Valentine's Day on the horizon, we have tips on how to show yourself some love in our special feature on Self-Care.

 

We send you our very best for the year ahead and hope you'll join us in making 2015 a year of embracing the new, celebrating personal milestones and moving forward with compassion for ourselves and others.  

  Sincerely, 

Lisa Cowan

Executive Director

selfcareShow Yourself Some Love...
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this Valentine's Day and throughout the year with our special feature on self-care.

 

In recovery, especially early on, we often put considerable work into repairing the damage that we created while in the problem, and rightly so. Our focus may be on doing this as selflessly as we can, putting our own needs on the shelf as we make amends to our families and loved ones. Sound familiar?

 

It is not uncommon at this time to be unaware of the importance of making time for ourselves or to completely discount the engagement in any form of self-care, believing that to do so would be "selfish". In fact it is not selfish at all; quite the opposite.

 

In taking care of ourselves, we are nurturing and honouring our recovery, which as we know, impacts more people than just ourselves. Recovery is hard work and self-care is essential to a to help us be at our best. But where do we start with self-care? [Read More Here]

meinthreeMe in Three
Our friendly staff team is at the heart of the safe & professional service we provide. 
Read on to get to know us better.

Me...Hi, I'm Joanne, Tamarack's Forward In Recovery (FIR) Program Coordinator and Aftercare Counsellor. [Read more about my typical day here].

  

...in three

1. What's the part of your job that keeps you coming in every day?

The atmosphere here. This is the first, and only place, I have been employed that is serious about healthy living and what that means to the people that are preaching it as much as to the people we are preaching it too. We are a great varied team, with varied ideas. Our individual experiences complement each other so well.

2. When I'm at Tamarack you'll never find me without... Coffee (but I am throwing in a decaf here and there...)

3. Morning person or night owl? Definitely a night owl. My energy peaks around 9:00 pm.

 

latestnewsLatest News

Forward in Recovery is Launched!

Our enhanced aftercare program, featuring a new family component was launched on January 17th. Development of the Forward in Recovery (FIR) Program took into account client feedback, clinical team observations, and knowledge of best practices and combined these with the inspiration and commitment of Joanne Riedle, Tamarack's Aftercare Program Coordinator, to create an innovative program of ongoing recovery support for graduates and their families.

Says Joanne, "This is an exciting step for Tamarack and one we've been wanting to take for a while..." [Read More Here]

Our Welcome is Even Warmer...

Thanks to new windows installed with support from the West Broadway Community Organization's Property Improvement Program. "Replacing the windows has made a big difference", says Karen Gutwein, Tamarack's Daytime Residential Care Worker and Safety Coordinator, "not only do they look good, but the staff and clients have commented on how much more comfortable they are especially when temperatures drop below double digits".

Find out more about the warm, therapeutic experience clients find at Tamarack.

 

didyouknowDid You Know?

In this section we use this edition's theme to provide you with fun facts and recovery resources from the web. We hope you find them useful, but as always we encourage you take what works and leave the rest.

 

Please note that links in this section will open a new window and take you to third party websites where Tamarack has no control over the quality or security of the content. 

 

Did you know that the top five new year's resolutions for 2015 are to "Work Out; Be Happy; Lose Weight; Stop Smoking and Unplug"?

 

Did you also know that while nearly 20% of individuals report keeping their resolutions for one year, 52% sustain them for just one month and almost 20% don't even make it to the second day?

 

Why do we struggle so much with keeping our goals and what can we do to improve the odds of seeing them through?

Two individuals who may help us answer those questions are Kelly McGonigal and Ray Williams. Kelly McGonigal, PhD and author of the book "The Will Power Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It", outlines strategies to harness your will power and give yourself the best chance at achieving your life and recovery goals. See her talk here.

Ray Williams, author and leadership trainer, draws on research from The Journal of Clinical Psychology and The Harvard business review, citing reasons why our resolutions fail and offers tips to help make them (or any other important life or recovery goal) work. Click here to read the full article.

Tamarack is Accredited with Exemplary Standing by Accreditation Canada

 

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Credits 

Articles: Joanne Riedle; Lisa Cowan; Sheryl Hobbs-Canning

Editing & Design: Sheryl Hobbs-Canning

Communications Admin: Joanne Riedle