History

• Dr. T.A. Pincock, Director of Mental Health Programming for the Province of Manitoba, is instrumental in starting Alcoholics Anonymous in Manitoba.
• The Bracken Commission examines the Liquor Control Act of 1928, resulting in the drafting of The Alcoholism Foundation of Manitoba Act.

• Mrs. Marty Mann, Executive Director of the National Committee on Alcoholism, meets with concerned Winnipeg citizens who want to do something to combat alcoholism.

• The Committee on Alcoholism for Manitoba was incorporated.

• The Alcoholism Foundation of Manitoba Act is passed authorizing the provision of facilities and services for treatment and rehabilitation of alcoholics, counselling, education, prevention and research.
• The Alcoholics Foundation of Manitoba (AFM) purchased 124 Nassau Street for offices and an information centre. It establishes Nassau House, a 15 bed male rehabilitation unit, at 100 Nassau Street.

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1966

• AFM establishes the first women's residential addiction facility in Canada, located at 588 River Avenue. River House is a 15 bed women's residential rehabilitation facility.

• Problem alcohol and other drug services were established in Brandon, when Norm Matheson donated Matheson House and Sun Centre to the AFM.

• AFM established alcohol and drug services in Thompson, operating out of two buildings, Cameron Lodge and Evergreen Place.

• Christie House, named after Keith Christie, a former AFM executive director and an individual instrumental in the establishment of River House, was opened. Programs included community-based rehabilitation services for men and women from Winnipeg and surrounding areas.

• The Banmen Report was released and the AFM's funding was increased to further address alcohol and other drug issues from a public health perspective.

• AFM began expanding its services to various rural communities throughout the province of Manitoba.

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• AFM continued to expand with the purchase of the C.N.I.B. complex at 1031/1041 Portage Avenue in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This purchase facilitated consolidation of most of Winnipeg's urban rehabilitation, prevention and education services.
• The Impaired Drivers' Program was established to intervene with individuals charged with two or more impaired driving offenses.
• AFM's Library is dedicated and named in memory of Reverend William Potoroka, Executive Director of Alcohol and Drug Education, for his 22 years of services in the field of alcohol and other drug prevention and education.

• Continued growth lead AFM to its fourth residential and community based service facility in Ste. Rose du Lac, known as Willard Monson House.
• The residential program, community based prevention, education and regional administration services in Thompson, Manitoba moved from two facilities into one - Polaris Place donated to the AFM by INCO.
• Partnerships with Stony Mountain Penitentiary were established to provide contractual rehabilitation services to inmates.
• AFM undertook a major initiative to develop and implement programs specifically for youth and their parents.
• Prevention programs were further developed and implemented provincially to address a variety of community objectives and needs.
• AFM's Youth Rehab Program opened. The AFM was on of the first jurisdictions in Canada to offer youth services.

• In October, AFM and the University of Manitoba Summer School Advisory Board held its first meeting to initiate a joint-sponsored Summer School. The Summer School addressed the issue of alcohol and other drug problems from all perspectives.

• AFM adopted a Womens Service Policy. This policy, accompanied by the establishment of a women's only residential facility in 1966, place the AFM in the position of being recognized as a Canadian leader in the area of women's issues and services.

• An interim Native Services "Policy in Principle" was approved by the AFM's Board of Governors. This policy was designed to guide the development and delivery of programs and services to Manitoba's Native population.
• The AFM formally adopted a Prevention Directions Paper to establish a view for outlining a clear focus and mandate for prevention programming.

• The Impaired Drivers' Program established in 1980, expanded to include mandatory participants of all first and subsequent offenders, as well as the program became fully cost recoverable through fees payable by the offender. These changes came from recommendations made by an interagency committee made up of key interest groups such as Justice, the police force, and Department of Highways.
• River House and Christie House were renamed the 'Women's Centre for Substance Abuse."
• Implementation of a Youth Intervention Strategy Pilot project in four high schools; (3) in Winnipeg and (1) in Selkirk. This project focussed on on-site intervention services, information/awareness session to school staff and students, assisting with alcohol/drug policy development and with implementation/integration of programs in the life skills curriculum.

1989

• Implementation of a Youth Intervention Strategy Pilot Project in three Winnipeg and one Selkirk high schools. AFM Youth Counsellors provide on-site counselling /intervention services, information and awareness sessions to school staff and students, assist with development of alcohol / drug policy development and assist with implementation and integration of a program in the life skills curriculum.

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• AFM placed greater emphasis on public relations/information, research, evaluation and public addiction library services as a way to increase the general public's awareness and understanding of addictions. AFM's library is one of the leading libraries in Canada for substance use and problem gambling information.
• Premier Gary Filmon, launched a "War on Drugs" with a four-point strategy that focused on tougher enforcement, education, community-based consultation and improved rehabilitation.
• "Alcohol, Other Drug and Substance Abuse in Manitoba, a strategy for the Nineties" was announced. This initiative provided Manitobans with the opportunity to voice their opinions on addiction programming for our province.
• A reduction in AFM's funding resulted in a major organizational restructuring.

• $100,000.00 Youth Addictions Prevention and Education Fund was established. This fund provided the opportunity for organizations and communities to receive financial assistance for the development and delivery of alcohol and other drug prevention/education projects targeting youth.

• The AFM completed province-wide evaluations of its residential and community-based rehabilitation programs. The evaluations included identification by clients and staff of the strengths and areas requiring improvement. An outcome evaluation conducted with clients completing the program was also conducted. Results were very positive!
• Matheson House and Sun centre were sold and Brandon opened a new 15 bed residential facility named Parkwood. This facility offers rehabilitation, prevention, education and administrative services.
• April saw the completion of the "Physicians Handbook". The handbook was distributed to all Manitoba Physicians throughout the province to be used as a guide to chemical abuse and dependency diagnosis, treatment and referral of their patients in need of addiction related services.

• AFM embarked on a 41-month demonstration project entitled Rural and Northern Youth Intervention Strategy (RNYIS). This project built upon the concepts established in the Youth Intervention Strategy. The RNYIS included nine Youth Counsellors working in 18 rural and northern schools.
• The committee on Alcohol and Pregnancy representing 30 individuals, groups and communities was formed with funding support from the Federal Government's Brighter Futures program.
• The Government announced a problem gambling initiative to be administered by the AFM. The program included a 24 hour/day, 7 days/week public provincial helpline,treatment, prevention, education and intervention programs.
• To more accurately reflect the services offered by the AFM, Bill 44 was enacted and the AFM's name was changed from The Alcoholism Foundation of Manitoba to The Addictions Foundation of Manitoba. AFM's mandate was expanded to include problem gambling in addition to alcohol and other drugs.
• As a cost-efficiency measure and to preserve staffing levels, AFM began a rotating vacation shutdown schedule for its residential centres located in Winnipeg, Thompson, Brandon and Ste. Rose du Lac.
• AFM opened community-based offices in Morris, Morden and Killarney to better serve these areas of Manitoba.
• AFM made a commitment to Continuous Improvement and Quality Initiatives.
• AFM purchased a building at 200 Osborne Street to consolidate its Youth Services, which were being offered from AFM's original location at 124/100 Nassau Street. Charitable donations were solicited in the amount of $135,000.00 for this purchase.
• AFM renovated its library to provide better access for users and for the display of materials. Renovations were supported by donations, totaling $43,000.00

• Over 800 customers, partners, suppliers and stake holders were surveyed to assist the AFM in developing the AFM's Vision, Mission statements and Core Values.
• AFM's Impaired Drivers' Program was identified as a "trendsetter in Canada". The Traffic and Injury Research Foundation identified the Manitoba system for dealing with impaired driving as the prototype for the country.
• AFM partnered with Dr. Bob Murray of the University of Manitoba's Alcohol, Tobacco and Drug Unit to conduct an outcome study of Winnipeg rehabilitation clients.
• 10,000 Alcohol and Life Long Health books were distributed across Manitoba. Development of the booklet was a joint project with the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission and Association of Canadian Distillers.

• AFM participated with Health Canada in an evaluation of AFM's Impaired Drivers' Program. The results indicated that the program was meeting its objectives and offenders were making lifestyle changes as a result of their participation in the program.
• AFM developed and implemented a pilot program on "Reparenting". Due to the a success of the program, Health Canada provided a grant to develop a Reparenting Program on a national basis with AFM staff and representatives from across Canada.
• An evaluation of the RYNIS program demonstrated that the project was successful. AFM reallocated fiscal resources and established the RNYIS program as a permanent AFM program.

• AFM celebrates its 40th anniversary. AFM's anniversary celebrations were coordinated with the release of the Cost of Substance Abuse Study.
• AFM became responsible for Drug Testing Collection for the Manitoba Trucking Association.
• AFM partnered with Saskatchewan Alcohol and Drug Commission and the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission, to host the first Canadian Conference on Pathological Gambling.
• AFM assumed responsibility for the Dual Disorder Program and the Methadone Maintenance Program, both of which were previously operated through the hospital systems.
• River House, AFM's women's residential facility, celebrated its 30th anniversary.
• KPMG was engaged by Manitoba Health, Program Evaluation Unit, to conduct an evaluation of the Gambling Addiction Program.

• AFM is recognized for its commitment to quality, continuous improvement and achievements by achieving the 1997 Manitoba Quality Awards, Silver Level.

• AFM received approval to establish a 14-bed Youth Residential Alcohol and Other Drug Rehabilitation Program. The program helps to address current gaps in service for Manitoba youth and their families.

• AFM opened its first Youth Residential Rehabilitation Facility (now called the Compass Program) in Southport, Manitoba. This 14-bed facility provides residential treatment for youth ages 13-17, who are referred from across the province. The program helps to address current gaps in service for Manitoba youth and their families.

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• AFM's first website was posted and work began on implementing a computer Wide Area Network (WAN) at AFM, connecting Regional Offices through equipment located in Winnipeg with email and file servers.

• AFM Provincial Planning Teams (PPTs) were established in the areas of Adult Rehab, Gambling, Impaired Drivers, Adult Education and Youth services. The PPTs are comprised of staff from across the province with the skills and knowledge to achieve the PPT mandate to be responsible for developing and monitoring their annual work plans, and recommending responses to the need for new or revised programs.

• In March 2002, AFM partnered with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and Manitoba Health, in an initiative involving Mental Health and Addictions, called the Co-occurring Disorders Initiative (CODI). This initiative was started to address the gap in services for clients dealing with dual or co-occurring disorders, using a training and consultation implementation plan to ensure the enhancement of clinical and organizational competencies in all programs that offer services to persons with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
• In July 2002, Manitoba Lotteries Corporation agreed to fund four one year pilot projects, in the areas of responsible gaming and problem gambling:
1. Lottery Retailer Training
2. Responsible Gaming Information Centre, the first of its kind in North America was established at the McPhillips Street Station Casino in Winnipeg
3. Middle Years Students Gambling Education and Awareness Project to educate middle years students about gambling and the potential risks involved prior to attending high school.
4. Residential Gambling Program and Evaluation in Brandon for Gambling clients who required a more intensive program to deal with their gambling addiction.

 

2003

• AFM led coordination of a Youth Advisory Committee on Tobacco (YACT) as part of a Provincial Tobacco Strategy. The first meeting of this group was held in May 2003.
• The AFM's Methadone Program was officially renamed Methadone Intervention and Needle Exchange Program (m.i.n.e.). The grand opening was held in November 2003.
• For the first time in its history, the AFM Board of Governors began work to establish Board specific policies in the areas of Governance, Executive Limitations, and Board/CEO relationships.
• The Prevention Provincial Planning Team was created and joined the AFM Provincial Planning Teams (PPTs). PPTs are comprised of staff from across the province and are responsible for developing and monitoring annual work plans and recommending responses to the need for new or revised programs.

• The "It's Your Lucky Day Program" an interactive program and website on how gambling works were launched. This program was targeted for Middle years students.
• AFM's William Potoroka Memorial Library achieved its highest level of use with 10,441 customers served in this year.
• AFM closed its 15-bed Primary Care Unit in September 2004.
• A comprehensive Safety and Health Program for the AFM was introduced in order to ensure compliance with new provincial legislation and collective agreements.
• The m.i.n.e. program was expanded to include needle exchange, community outreach and enhanced community networking.
• In a response to Manitoba's diverse population AFM's gambling program:
  • Developed a French language version of the "It's Your Lucky Day" website (www.luckday.ca). This project was funded by Manitoba Lotteries Corporation.
  • Developed new gambling ads for the Asian market.

• The Addictions Foundation of Manitoba was accredited by the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation (CCHSA) for three years in the areas of Substance Abuse and Gambling.
• A new methadone program opened in Brandon.
• AFM's mission, vision statement and values wer revised.
• AFM adopted a motto of "Building Hope".
• A mental health screener, used to screen clients for co-occurring disorders was implemented in all AFM adult alcohol, other drugs and gambling Intake/Assessment programs.
• A study aimed at understanding the needs of street-involved youth up to the age of 25 years was completed. As a result of the study AFM partnered with two agencies in Winnipeg and one in Thompson that have established relationships and credibility with the street-involved population to provide a mechanism to reach this population.
• AFM is a partner to and a sponsor of the Winnipeg Drug Treatment Court which was launched as a new court for non-violent drug-addicted offenders.

2006

• AFM celebrated its 50th anniversary with celebrations throughout the province.
• A partnership was developed with River East School Division "to develop the capacity of the School Division and its surrounding community to provide prevention, education and intervention services targeted to youth alcohol, other drugs and gambling issues".
• AFM partnered with KLINIC to provide after hours Gambling Helpline call pick-up.
• Women Invested in Sobriety (WISER) women's day program was developed and piloted.

2007

• AFM and Manitoba Lotteries Corporation partner to provide training to staff at all lottery retail sites in Manitoba. This program assists retailers to be aware of responsible gambling practices and problem gambling resources.
• Winnipeg Region Adult Rehabilitation staff developed new processes to improve services to clients seeking help for an opiate addiction.
• Polaris Place (Thompson) residential treatment facility ran, for the first time, a "women's only" treatment group in late July to mid-August to reduce the number of women waiting to enter treatment.
• AFM, in partnership with R.D. Parker Collegiate, Regional Health Authority and the RCMP, operated a one-of-a-kind Adolescent Health Education Centre in a Thompson high school to address the changing needs of youth in Thompson. There was on-site clinical health, addictions, mental health and policing done in the school's student services area.

2008

• AFM's research function was transferred to Manitoba Health and Healthy Living. This provided AFM with an opportunity to reorganize our resources to focus on evaluation of our programs.

• AFM Board of Governors holds a planning session for 2010-2013. The AFM Mission Statement, Vision and Values are re-examined.

2009

• AFM's Polaris Place in Thompson is closed and a newly built facility was opened in June, 2009. The new facility provides the Northern regions with 18 treatment beds.

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