All Rideauwood Programs

Substance use, behavioural addictions and mental health issues affect individuals and families. That’s why Rideauwood offers many, comprehensive programs for youth, young adults, adults, parents and families.

Youth and Young
Adult Programs

School-Based
Program

Rideauwood’s School-Based Program offers students prevention, education, and treatment to address substance use, behavioral addictions or mental health issues in and out of school. It is provided to English Language High Schools and Senior Elementary Schools in Ottawa. Students from any school board may also access this program at our Parkdale site.

Youth & Young Adult
Substance Use Program

Rideauwood’s Substance Use program is for Youth and Young Adults who are facing challenges in their life including substance use, behavioural addictions or mental health issues. Our services are offered in multiple geographical locations and provide program participants with education, comma, individual and group counselling.

Youth Justice
Program

The Youth Justice Program is for Youth and Young Adults who are in conflict with the law and who are struggling with substance use, behavioural addictions or mental health issues. Our services are offered in multiple geographical locations and provide program participants with education, individual and group counseling.

Pregnant and Parenting
Program Body

This program is for pregnant or parenting youth (12-25) and their children, who are experiencing difficulties related to substance use, behavioural addictions or mental health issues.
Participants in this program receive counselling and education so they can feel empowered to set goals for healthy pregnancy and parenting.

Adult Programs

  • Please note that due to high demand, there is a waitlist for our Adult Services.
  • While the wait will vary depending on what program you are screened into after Intake, the wait for our Urgent Substance Use individual counselling is approximately 4 months and the wait for our Substance Use Group Programming is approximately 10 months.
  • If you are seeking more immediate services, please have your assessment done at AccessMHA. This regional assessment and referral service will be able to provide you with the most immediate treatment options in the region, as well as refer you to our Rideauwood programs as needed.
  • We are working actively to get our wait times down. If you would like to proceed to book an intake directly with us at Rideauwood, please do not hesitate to contact us here.

Urgent Substance
Use Treatment

Through this program, Rideauwood provides immediate prevention, education, and counselling services for people with opioid-related and other urgent substance use issues.


Substance Use
Treatment

This out-patient program is for people who are struggling with substance use and who either want to reduce their use, use in safer ways or who want to live a substance-free lifestyle.

 

Problem
Gambling

This program offers prevention, education, and treatment to individuals to address problem gambling. Clients increase their understanding of the nature of gambling to see how it has affected their lives and the lives of others. 

Parents and Family
Programs

Urgent Substance Use Treatment Program
for Parents and Family

This program provides immediate prevention, education and counselling services for family members, parents and support persons of people experiencing opioid-related and other urgent substance use issues.

Family Spiral

Family Spiral is a 2-evening education program for family members, friends and support persons who are concerned about someone experiencing problematic substance use, behavioural addiction or a related mental health issue.

Family Spiral is an introduction to Rideauwood’s family and parent counselling services.  Participants learn about addiction and how it affects families, while connecting with others who are experiencing concerns and challenges similar to their own.

SMART Recovery

SMART Recovery provides support and tools for family members, friends and support persons who are concerned about someone experiencing problematic substance use, behavioural addiction or a related mental health issue.

This program has been adapted from SMART Recovery and CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training). Like SMART Recovery, CRAFT is an evidenced-base program. CRAFT teaches family members, friends and support persons new ways of interacting with a person who experiencing addiction with a goal of increasing the chances that the person will seek recovery.

SMART Recovery is a weekly group for people who have already completed an intake and are waiting for other groups and for individual counselling services.

ARCK* Program (for Families,
Parents and Support Persons)

The ARCK Program offers 8 weeks of 1.5-hour group sessions and individual counselling. It provides information on addiction, communication skills, emotions, education, and setting healthy boundaries.

We encourage participants to complete the Family Spiral before registering for ARCK.

*ARCK stands for Awareness, Responding, Coping, Knowledge.

Drug Treatment Court


The Ottawa Drug Treatment Court (DTC) supports clients with substance use issues and who have been legally charged as a result. Participants receive treatment tailored to their needs while maintaining other obligations set by the Court.

Q: If I just want to explore issues of substance use, behavioral addictions, and mental health can I do that?

A: Yes you can.

Rideauwood partners with

During COVID-19, Rideauwood has partnered with other agencies through CounsellingConnect to help youth, young adults and adults who are dealing with substance use issues, or other problematic behaviour such as gambling and gaming or supporting a friend/family member who is. If you are interested in a single session to explore these issues, help is just a click away.