Fair Havens is still up and running ? barely.

With no counsellors and no director, the three residents at the substance abuse residential care facility are getting counselling from outside sources ? two at Turning Point and one through private counselling.

However, new board chairman Terry West is optimistic, asking only for a little time to get the facility back up to par.

?We?ve looked at a plan to provide service and are in delicate negotiations with stakeholders to provide that service,? he said.

He would not elaborate, saying it was too early in the negotiations to explain exactly what the final plans would be.

He did confirm the facility currently had no director, and said the board would not be looking for a new one until a plan was in place. The facility will not be taking in new residents either, he said. ?We won?t take any new people until we know where we?re going.?

Fair Havens is also still recovering from damage after Hurricane Fabian, he said.

?We had some branches go through the roof ... Some of the damage is still waiting to be repaired. It?s been hard to find somebody to do it.? A former board made the decision to close the drug treatment facility on December 31, 2002, however then-director Elaine Charles took the dramatic step of reversing the board?s decision to prevent residents there at the time from being cast out into the streets in the New Year.

She later resigned due to the board?s unhappiness about her choice. The facility has spent the year struggling to stay open, with two more directors coming and going.

A new board was put into place on November 12, Mr. West said, and had been working diligently. ?We appreciate all the support that has been out there for us in this past month,? he added. ?It?s been really heart-warming ? there?s a huge amount of support for Fair Havens, and with good reason. We just ask that people give us time.?