LET’S had a conversation with 2 people from Vancouver Coastal Health, who are launching an in person 2SLGBTQIA+ substance use group (start date not yet set) at the Royal Columbian Mental Health and Substance Use Wellness Centre in New Westminster.

The group incorporates harm reduction, SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) goals, affirmative CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), and self-compassion. This program is designed to be a 6-month experience, allowing members to benefit from structured support within that time frame. At the end of this period, we will support you in transitioning to other resources or next steps in your journey. We also offer groups that you can attend on a continuous basis to maintain progress.

Anyone is able to self-refer who may be interested by either calling 604.585.5610 or going to our in-person intake hours. Our full program schedule with all of the information can be found here: DEW_schedule.pdf. Please feel free to share with anyone who may be interested!

LET’S consulted with the organizers and they had this to say:

“We wanted to say thank you again for meeting with us a couple of months ago! We have taken your feedback into account when thinking about this group and continue to, knowing that this an ongoing process. The location is wheelchair accessible and we have been making considerations for those who are neurodivergent (currently trying to get some fidgets, we have colouring materials for those who might want to colour while in group and will place them at everyone’s spot, the slide deck itself, etc) in our creation of the group and in how we plan to implement it.”