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Ray of Hope ends youth live-in treatment program, calls it 'unsustainable'

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Ray of Hope says it will no longer be offering its youth Live-In Treatment program.

In an email to CTV News on Monday, the Kitchener-based organization said it was “unsustainable in this economical and social climate” and will end the program as of Nov. 30. The decision, they added, was made in consultation with Ontario Health West.

According to Ray of Hope’s website, the Live-In Treatment program provides a “therapeutic community for young men who are considering making changes around substance use, addiction, screen time or other compulsive behaviour concerns.”

The organization said they’ve seen declining interest in residential treatment while demand has increased for other programs.

“The community and day treatment programs have a strong track record of success and we’re confident that expanding their reach will have a significant impact on the lives of youth in our community,” CEO Tonya Verburg explained in the release.

Ray of Hope admitted the cancellation will impact their team.

“The decision to close the Live-In program was not taken lightly,” the organization explained in their official announcement. “We understand that this decision has significant implications, including the loss of jobs at Live-In [Treatment].”

Ray of Hope did not specify how many workers will be impacted by the cancellation.

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