Don’t be telling Darrell that people on the block aren’t interested in treatment for their substance use – he’s been through six or seven residential treatment programs all over BC at this point, and is hoping for a spot in New Roads next, which provides up to two years of living in a therapeutic community. “The problem for me is I get moved into housing too fast and too close to where my problems were, or the places themselves are too open. I did well at a place in Chilliwack that was way up a mountain and nowhere to walk to, but unfortunately I wasn’t really focusing enough on me at that time and was thinking too much about seeing my girlfriend.” Darrell managed 89 days in recovery one time, and is really hoping that his next run through will be the one that sticks. Residential treatment is mostly private in BC, with no regulation around the kinds of programs on offer, the costs, or whether outcomes are measured and reported on. “Some of the programs are good, but a lot are just about getting your money,” says Darrell. “Sometimes it feels like you’re just a pay cheque to them.”