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Social assistance case workers in London were trained to screen incoming clients for substance abuse issues and refer them to ADSTV. The clients would work with the agency to set goals and address their substance abuse issues in the hopes of finding work.

By the time he entered London’s Fresh Start, O’Byrne — who is sober, working and sharing his story of recovery with others — already had tried and failed at other treatment and was having suicidal thoughts.

He is deeply concerned by the provincewide program cut and the implications it will have on people struggling with addiction.

“Fresh Start was a hand up. . . . I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I’d probably be dead without it,” he said.

“I hate to be blunt, but it’s almost like we’re handing people a bullet by cutting this stuff, because where are they going to go?”

Fresh Start reached 1,335 people in its 13-year run, said ADSTV executive director Linda Sibley. Of those, 355 found work and got off social assistance. It cost about $400,000 a year to run.

“It was an amazing program. We’re really disappointed, as is the city,” she said. “We built an incredible partnership with the city. We’re all grieving that because it was amazing.”

Above all, the program was a pathway into addiction treatment for a targeted population, Sibley said.

“Many are very vulnerable people. They often have complex trauma,” she said. “The program helped remove barriers. . . . We will apply what we know to general intake best practices, but there’s no special program anymore.”