Maison
Decision House (MDH) is a non-profit
organisation founded in 1979. It provides a community-based residential and
treatment program for adult male offenders, regardless of race or religion, who
are returning to the community as part of their release process. MDH has helped
over a thousand individuals make the transition into the community by
providing shelter, guidance and counselling.
Administered by a board of
directors, MDH has a staff of professional therapists, criminologists and
counsellors. The facility is a large three-story house with two outer buildings
serving as a program centre. The house can accomodate up to fourteen residents.
It is located in the Hintonburg district of central Ottawa with easy access to
public transport.
MDH operates with a general treatment philosophy based
on the social learning model: addiction is considered a learned behaviour that
can be "unlearned" throught the development of new thinking and coping skills.
The treatment program provides addiction intervention to clients who are
experiencing alcohol and/or drug abuse problems and is tailored to the
individual as well as to specific treatment
goals.
