Keeping Score 1998

Drug Strategies

Keeping Score 1998

Family Treatment Programs

Florida
Model Services for Nearly ThreeDecades
In 1970 government leaders and community members in West Central Florida mobilized to create an organization that has become a national model for substance abuse and mental health treatment and research. Known as Operation PAR, Inc., the group provides treatment, prevention and support services to people and communities affected by substance abuse, mental disorders and other problems. For drug treatment and prevention alone, Operation PAR, Inc. offers 40 programs. One of them, PAR Village, is a residential center where addicted mothers receive counseling and training in a range of areas, from parenting skills to job readiness. Many of these women have dual diagnoses ,and they receive help from licensed counselors with credentials in addiction treatment, mental health and psychiatry. Daytime child care is provided during treatment, which averages nine months. Six months after completing treatment, 65 percent of participants are drug-free, 87 percent have not been arrested and 45 percent have regained custody of their children. PAR Village receives funding from the Florida Department of Children and Families, Florida Department of Corrections, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. For more information, call (727) 570-5080.

Littleton, Colorado
Guiding Women Toward Self-Sufficiency
Studies show that shouldering responsibility helps recovering substance abusers. Those with jobs are less likely to relapse than the unemployed, and women who live with their children during treatment tend to remain drug-free longer than those who do not. This evidence is the driving force behind New Directions for Families, a residential drug treatment program offered through Arapahoe House, Colorado's largest provider of alcohol and drug treatment services. Participants acquire the skills to reduce their dependence on welfare and prevent out-of-home placement for their children. Case managers conduct outreach in rural areas and reservations to attract an ethnically diverse clientele. Upon enrollment, two-thirds of the women rely on public assistance. But during the seven-month treatment program, participants must hold a job. Before discharge, each woman is required to work at least 32 hours a week for one month. The average participant is employed for three months. From April 1995 to June 1998, 105 families benefited from New Direction's drug treatment program. Preliminary findings indicate that 32 percent of the participants successfully completed the treatment requirements, and had housing and employment by the time they finished. Six months later, 70 percent of the women remained drug-free or significantly reduced their drug use. For more information on Arapahoe House or New Directions for Families, call (303) 657-3700.

Pascua Yaqui Reservation, Arizona
Making a PATH to Recovery
A virtual epidemic among Native Americans, alcoholism kills those residing on reservations at nearly seven times the national alcoholism mortality rate. The Pascua Alcoholism Treatment Home (PATH), located on the Pascua Yaqui Indian reservation, is working to stem this problem, particularly among women. Using a 12-step model tail-ored specifically for this population, PATH's entirely female staff incorporates spiritual exploration and culturally familiar elements, such as talking circles and "sweats" for prayer and meditation. During a three-day "vision quest" in the wilderness, clients use meditation to help them envision a life free from addiction. Each client writes her life story, which forms the basis for her specialized treatment plan. After three years 50 percent of PATH clients have completed treatment. Originally funded by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, the program currently receives tribal support and funding through the Arizona Department of Health Service. For more information about PATH's women's programs, call (520) 883-5145. To learn more about the organization's programs for men, call (520) 883-5152.

Greensboro, North Carolina
Productive Prison Alternative forMothers
Established in the late 1970s, Summit House is an alternative correctional facility for mothers who are repeat offenders, typically convicted for drugs or drug-related property crimes. In lieu of prison, the women at Summit House participate in an 18- to 24-month residential program while retaining care of their young children. The program houses between 60 and 80 women and children. The women are responsible for paying $90 monthly rent, maintaining their living quarters, helping with communal tasks and, most importantly, caring for their children. Because 80 percent of the women have substance abuse problems, Summit House requires all residents to complete a drug treatment program, comprised of 12-step fellowship groups, educational and vocational counseling, and aftercare services. To assist the women with childrearing, Summit House offers a number of professional services, including day care, health care, professional counseling and recreation and play therapy. The results are notable. Recidivism among participants is only 25 percent, compared to 42 percent among nonparticipants. And the cost for treating a woman at Summit House is 26 percent less than incarceration at the Correctional Institutes for Women in Raleigh. To contact Summit House, call 1-800-294-0189.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Helping Homeless, Substance AbusingFamilies
Homeless women with dependent children-the fastest-growing group of homeless in the U.S.-are up to eight times more likely to have substance abuse problems than women with housing. In 1989 Gaudenzia, a private therapeutic community, established two treatment programs to reach substance-abusing homeless women who are pregnant or have children. While many addiction services treat the homeless, Gaudenzia's programs are unique in their sole focus on homeless women. The programs, called New Image and Kindred House, provide residential and non-residential treatment in Philadelphia and surrounding communities. With support from the Philadelphia Department of Health, the programs help women build a new, healthy, peer-support network and re-establish family ties. Using a culturally sensitive approach, Gaudenzia helps women overcome addiction and social isolation while teaching them skills for employment, housing stabilization and building a supportive community. Once mothers complete residential treatment, they move to transitional housing for more individualized treatment and counseling. An outcome evaluation is currently underway. To learn more about Gaudenzia's New Image and Kindred House programs, call (212) 845-4400.

Cleveland, Ohio
Treating Families at Miracle Village
A typical family living at Miracle Village in Cleveland, Ohio, consists of three children and a 29-year-old woman addicted to crack with a 15-year history of drug abuse. The family has lived in shelters or with family members or friends as a direct result of the mother's addiction. Miracle Village is a unique program which involves the entire family in residential drug treatment in an environment that fosters resilience in children. All family members participate in treatment, in educational, parenting, budgeting, and wellness classes, and in family recreational activities. The Ohio Department of Human Services maintains protective custody of the children, and women who choose to leave treatment early may not take their children. Comprehensive services continue for up to 24 months, with families moving from Miracle Village to Recovery Village after the initial treatment period. Spouses and significant others can stay in a nearby transitional housing program for the first 90 days, then join the family. Miracle Village has served 305 families with about 900 children since opening in 1992. Approximately 100 children in foster care have been reunited with their mothers. Drug-related crime in the adjacent housing project has dropped by over 45 percent since Miracle Village opened. For more information about Miracle Village, call (216) 881-2504.

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Spotlight | Methadone Maintenance Treatment | Welfare Reform and Drug Abuse
Women and Drug Abuse: Court Innovations

Programs | Prevention Programs | Pregnant and Parenting Women's Programs
Family Treatment Programs| Criminal Justice Programs

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