Their mission is to develop successful rehabilitation programs for drug addicts and since 1997 Remar has been working steadily to bring back those that drugs and society have discarded. Today, the Spanish volunteer group marked a major accomplishment as it opened up it's fifth rehabilitation facility. In partnership with the National Drug Abuse Control Council, this new facility will play the role of a half-way house for rehabilitated drug users to re-enter society. Located at #5 Johnson Street, the building will be the launching pad for those ready to face the world:
Luis Miguel, Director of Remar
So, this building targets, more than anything, the re-insertion of the rehabilitees into society, because people need to learn how to get beck into society positively, with a very positive attitude. So they must be, more or less in their own environment. A major gap that makes rehabilitation and addiction relapsing is the social re-insertion. Society sometimes tend to look at a former drug addict as still a drug addict. It loses confidence in them.
Ornel Brooks, Director of NDACC
What is important is that we should encourage the addicts to come in and use the facilities because often people do have difficulty in coming to terms with the problems that they suffer from and it needs people like yourselves and ourselves to say to them, listen, why don't you go for some sort of treatment and Remar is here to provide that type of treatment. We have been able to a large extent to provide preventative education through the schools, high schools, and community projects. However, we have not been able to do the same way of treatment that rehabilitation concerns. And certainly we feel very proud and confident that this new facility will take us to where we want to go.
Indira Craig
Mr. Brooks, can you tell us what is the significance of dedicating this building in Curl Thompson's name?
Ornel Brooks
It is the actualization of Mr. Thompson's vision, one that originated back in 1998. And certainly it is only fitting that recognition is given because this is a very, very progressive step forward in trying to provide treatment services for addicts.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Curl Thompson was the founder of NDACC in 1988. Remar has developed rehabilitation programs in 52 countries worldwide. The critical first and second stages which is detox, and treatment is done at their 3 acre secluded Bullet Tree facility.