Foundation for Youth Support - Fisherman's Memorial Hospital

The Foundation for Youth Support addiction services program at Fisherman’s Memorial Hospital in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, provides community-based outpatient addiction counselling and medically supervised detoxification for residents of the South Shore region. Located in Lunenburg, one of Nova Scotia’s historic coastal communities, the programme offers accessible addiction support for individuals dealing with alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine, opioid, benzodiazepine, and other substance use concerns. The community-based model ensures that South Shore residents can access professional addiction care without travelling to distant urban centres.

Medical Detox and Withdrawal Support

The programme provides medically supervised detoxification for individuals whose withdrawal from alcohol, opioids, benzodiazepines, and other substances requires professional medical management. Safe, monitored detox is the critical first step in recovery for many individuals, and having this service available locally in Lunenburg removes a significant barrier that might otherwise prevent people from beginning their recovery journey. Medical oversight ensures that withdrawal is managed safely and that complications are identified and addressed promptly.

Outpatient Counselling and Community Support

Following detox — or for individuals who do not require medical detoxification — the programme offers outpatient addiction counselling tailored to each person’s situation and recovery goals. Individual counselling provides a confidential space for clients to explore their substance use, understand its patterns and triggers, and develop practical strategies for sustained recovery. The outpatient model allows clients to receive professional support while maintaining their connections to family, employment, and community.

Accessible Addiction Care for the South Shore

For communities along Nova Scotia’s South Shore, having professional addiction services available locally is critically important. The Foundation for Youth Support programme at Fisherman’s Memorial Hospital brings medical detox and counselling expertise into the heart of the Lunenburg community — providing the kind of accessible, trustworthy addiction care that supports recovery in rural and semi-rural settings. For individuals in Lunenburg County and the surrounding South Shore communities dealing with substance use, this programme offers a professional, local pathway toward recovery.