POINTE-CLAIRE – Demetra Malakhanian considers the Portage rehabilitation centre to be a second home.
She first entered the drug and alcohol rehab at 16 and one of the small comforts was being close to her parents.
“They didn’t feel so far away. I knew that we’re in the West Island a lot,” she said.
‘I felt closer to my parents. I’m near my home.”
Portage’s original location was in Beaconsfield, but the facility was forced out a year ago after the lease expired.
They relocated to Prévost, Quebec – about a hour away.
“It’s the only place that could save her. When I brought her here that day I felt secure,” said her mother Christina Rassias.
“I felt like she’s going to get the help she needs here.”
The new West Island facility is for family services, after care and admissions.
READ MORE: West Island teen rehab centre settles into new home in the Laurentians
“It’s important to have a facility in the West Island to provide those services,” said Portage facility director Gaetano Di Falco.
“The bulk of the Anglo community is here and we have many partners nearby, so it’s important to have this location.”
The building is owned by one of the organization’s donors, but Portage hopes to establish a new residential home in the West Island.
In their 15 years, over 900 teens have been admitted into the English program.
In fact, Demetra is an example of the program’s success and a point of pride for her mother.
“To the end, the moon and back, to infinity and beyond. I’m very proud of her,” said Rassias.
While Portage’s main rehabilitation centre is still in Prévost, teens looking for help in the West Island now have a new place to call home.
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