Our Place Society expands women’s supports with new ‘Reunification House’

Victoria’s Our Place Society is aiming to increase their efforts around addiction recovery for women with a safe family reunification housing project.

This project will build on last year’s implementation of Vancouver Island’s only women’s long-term addiction recovery program.

The project is being called the Reunification House, and will be a first-of-its-kind transitional housing program meant to support women who have moved through the organization’s Women’s Therapeutic Recovery Community (WTRC).

At its core, the new program is designed to reunify women with their children and continue building stable, healthy futures.

Our Place hopes that those who move through the two programs will not only achieve health and recovery, but sustain it while rebuilding their families.

“This is about creating a true continuum of care for women on Vancouver Island,” said Julian Daly, CEO of Our Place Society. 

“Women should not have to leave their communities, their support systems, or return to the mainland to access the next phase of healing. Recovery is not just about sobriety — it is about rebuilding lives, restoring families, and creating lasting stability.”

According to Our Place, many women’s decision to seek treatment is deeply rooted in motherhood.

It can be difficult when women entering treatment to overcome addiction are separated from their children, who are often in the care of child and family services or living with extended family members.  

For mothers moving through recovery, the opportunity to safely reunify with their children can be a powerful motivation.

The Reunification House seeks to help these mothers achieve stable, supportive housing for themselves and their children.

“This program represents something transformational,” said Cheryl Diebel, director of New Roads. 

“For the first time, women on Vancouver Island can move through a full recovery pathway—from crisis, to treatment, to recovery, to family reunification—without being displaced from their home communities.”

Our Place Society is holding an event on Thursday, May 28th to highlight the impact of the Women’s Therapeutic Recovery Community, success stories from graduates, the importance of Reunification House and the expansion of supports for women on Vancouver Island.