Regan E. Anderson

Sincerely, Regan E. Anderson, MA Executive Director

Regan Anderson, Director of Wayside House

Regan Anderson

Executive Director

Wayside House of Hamilton

"The idea here is that we're not just going to give you a piece of paper with a phone number on it," says coalition member Regan Anderson, executive director of Wayside House, a residential treatment centre for men.
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"We've got the information, we've got the people, we've got the buy-in locally," says Anderson.

Law enforcement and the courts need to understand that for many substance abusers, "their intention isn't to commit crime, it's to continue their addictions," says Regan Anderson, executive director of Wayside House, the city's only residential treatment facility for men with substance abuse problems.

Traditionally, the enforcement and judicial side of the drug issue has worked separately from treatment, like "two solitudes," he says.
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"If the police service can look at (substance abusers) as not being losers, as not being a bad guy, then maybe police can help introduce them to community resources," says Regan Anderson of Wayside House.

One partnership is with Regan Anderson, executive director of Wayside House, Hamilton's only residential treatment centre for men with drug and alcohol addictions.

Anderson would love a multi-million dollar budget.But while he sees the crystal meth problem looming on the horizon, it is all he can do to keep his 20-bed facility running and provide treatment already needed.

In the past month, two clients with crystal meth addictions have come to Wayside.One just arrived in Hamilton and both cite other drugs as their primary addictions.Staff plan to modify their assessments to better cope with crystal meth addictions, but there is no funding for increased training or education or additional beds.

Anderson, who chairs a provincial committee on residential treatment, says most facilities won't be able to provide adequate assessment, withdrawal management or treatment when crystal meth addicts come in droves.And he believes there will be droves.

Unlike organic substances such as cocaine and marijuana which have to be grown, when there is increased demand for crystal meth, you just make more.

At half the street price of crack and a high that lasts 12 hours rather than 20 minutes, crystal meth is more bang for your buck.

"The epidemic will be far worse than crack because (crystal meth) is easy and cheap," Anderson says.

Regan Anderson, executive director of Wayside House, the only long-term treatment facility for men in Hamilton, said the coalition was expecting to receive the funding and will now have to work with the resources it has.
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Still, Anderson is encouraged by the support and co-operation he is receiving from Hamilton police and the other members of the coalition.In the coming months, members of the team will meet to discuss the benefits of treatment for drug users and how to send that message to the public.Addiction services counsellors will educate patrol officers on what to do if they come across a person in crisis and will give them pamphlets to hand out to users and even make referrals.Anderson believes the results will be rewarding.

Regan Anderson - Executive Director of Wayside House

Regan Anderson, MA Executive Director Email. regan.anderson@waysidehouse.ca