First 30 Days of Program

Southern Alcare Manor (SAM) is located in downtown Lethbridge within easy walking distance to most recovery meetings, social services, banks, malls, clinics, pharmacies, parole office, library, courthouse, AHS, and the YMCA.

Upon arrival you will be greeted at the door by SAM staff, and the intake experience begins. After a short interview, and signing administration forms, you are given a tour of the facility, and introduced to other residents and staff. You will be given a room that you will share with another resident. In addition to this, every resident is given a chore, which changes on a weekly rotating basis. SAM also volunteers several times a month at bingos to help receive funding.

For the first 30 days you will participate in our in house groups. They take place three times a day and include morning reflections, morning group and afternoon group. Groups are one hour long to allow time throughout the day to make and attend appointments and meetings. In the 30-day groups a mix of SAM staff and outside community facilitators will present on a wide variety of topics and techniques to assist a resident in identifying and dealing with underlying issues of their addiction, as well as skills for living in recovery.

You will be assigned a Keyworker who will assist you in meeting your goals of sobriety, recovery, aftercare and transition planning.

60-90 Days

After completion of 30 days the next step begins.  SAM encourages residents to get back to work, back to school, volunteering, as well as following up on any referrals made to other agencies or therapists.  At this point residents get to practice healthy lifestyle choices, while living in a supportive and safe home.

There are also many extra curricular activities that take place throughout the year. In August SAM hosts our annual Pancake Breakfast. In summer there is an alumni BBQ, which current residents are encouraged to attend. There are frequent movie nights, and golf afternoons. In house there are two communal TV’s, Playstation, Rock Band, Wii, air hockey, foosball, movies, books and musical instruments. There is also a large Christmas party.

Most residents who successfully complete the 90-day stay report it as a positive, life changing experience. They often return frequently for visits and support in their continuing recovery.

Beyond 90 Days

SAM also offers continuing care for individuals wishing for supportive living after completing their 90-day stay.

SAM has a fourth stage recovery duplex with eight beds where, if accepted to reside there, the stay is up to one year. It is partially staffed and allows for a more gradual transition back to independent living. There the residents cook, clean, and structure their lives autonomously with some guidance from staff.

The requirements for living in the duplex include, displaying a genuine need for further support, being employed or going to school full time, and being reasonably self sufficient in a daily living routine.