Overview
Portage Ontario is a non-profit organization that established a rehabilitation centre for adolescents in 1985 at Elora, near Guelph, in cooperation with the Ontario government. Since its opening, the centre has treated more than 4,000 youths from every region of Ontario.
Portage offers comprehensive services within a continuum of care model aimed at helping users to overcome addictions. Its programs, which are based on the therapeutic community approach, encourage personal growth and enable users to transform their lives.
View the Portage Ontario video.
The treatment centre has a 52-bed capacity and provides treatment for males and females in two gender-separate programs. Portage Elora serves youth referred by their parents, family physicians, hospitals, other addiction-treatment and youth-serving agencies, schools as well as through Youth Justice, and the Children's Aid Society.
The Portage Ontario Board of Directors is chaired by Michael Howlett, Past President and CEO of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, and consists of volunteers who are involved in their communities. The Board ensures proper governance of Portage activities in Ontario and provides leadership for the annual fundraising campaign.
Portage Elora is funded by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services and by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care via the Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network (WWLHIN) which recently entered into a new service agreement with Portage. To view a copy of this agreement, please click here.
The Portage Elora program is also supported by the Portage Foundation with contributions received from private donors and through special events such as the Fresh Start Fundraising Dinner and Auction.
The target for Portage Ontario’s 2009-2010 Annual Fundraising Campaign is to raise more than $300,000. Funds raised will be used to provide treatment for more youth and families through the Portage Ontario Youth Treatment Fund. The Annual Campaign will support program enhancements such as the Portage Outward Bound Program and the Family and Aftercare Program. If you would like to make a donation to the Portage Ontario Campaign click here.
For more information about becoming a Portage Ontario supporter please contact Jennifer Blunt, Director of Development for Portage Ontario, by email at jblunt@portage.ca
Resident’s Manual