Pot times
Review To Focus On Addicts Refusing Treatment
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n1090/a05.htmlNewshawk: Herb
Pubdate: Wed, 06 Jul 2005 REVIEW TO FOCUS ON ADDICTS REFUSING TREATMENT
Source: Meridian Booster (CN AB)
Copyright: 2005, The Lloydminster Meridian Booster
Contact:
boosternews@bowesnet.com
Website: http://www.meridianbooster.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1590
Author: Erin Pritchard
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm
(Treatment)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm
(Youth)
The Provincial Government's Growing Concern With Drug Use And Abuse Within The
Province Is The Focus Of A Review Targeting Addicts Unwilling To Take Treatment.
Lloydminster Meridian Booster -- The provincial government's growing concern
with drug use and abuse within the province is the focus of a review targeting
addicts unwilling to take treatment.
The review, which will come together in the fall, will be a collaboration of
many different departments and groups, including community resources and
employment, health, justice and corrections, and public safety. The
Children's Advocate, Metis and First Nations groups and the Human Rights
Commission will also be involved.
"It's all been designed to dovetail together in the fall," said Joanne
Crofford, minister of community resources and employment. "We're also
doing a review with all of the service providers to make sure, first of all,
which kind of services they think are the most effective and where the waiting
lists are, and also if there are new resources allocated, where are the most
important places to allocate those resources?"
Once each group has completed an individual review, the government will look to
what model will best benefit those unwilling to accept treatment.
Different methods, such as secure custody or safe houses, all come with
different price tags. Although the final dollar amount will not be set
until the final process is complete, Crofford said costs could range from about
$200 per day, per person for non-secure treatment, to $600 for secure custody.
That dollar amount would then be multiplied by the number of days decided for a
sufficient intervention period, and then by the number of youth likely to
require that kind of intensive treatment services.
"If you choose a secure custody model your cost quadruples," said
Crofford.
"But I think the emphasis is on spending the money most effectively.
I don't think there's anybody who doesn't think this will be a fairly
substantial increase in resources."
Whatever the chosen model and delivery philosophy, it will compliment the
procedures already in place and could set in motion changes for the voluntary
treatment side of the equation.
Crofford said the government is aware that waiting lists exist throughout the
province and there will be a lot of prioritization of programs and new dollars
to produce the best results for the largest number of people with serious
addictions problems.
"Part of it is working with people who are treatment professionals ( to
determine ) whether five days is enough for the 'stabilization period' for an
assessment of what would happen to that individual next," she said.
"Whether they will enter into secure custody or voluntary treatment, or
whether a longer ( intervention ) period of 30 days is required."
First Nations and Metis communities have expressed concern for drug abuse issues
and a desire to be more directly involved in the treatment decisions.
"Especially in the north they're concerned with the potential of the new
roads cutting across from Alberta, and Alberta being a place where a lot of the
production is occurring, they want to be involved in how they can be proactive
in making sure this doesn't really take a hold in their communities. It
hasn't yet, but they're concerned about it," said Crofford.
The targeted group is youth unwilling to enter treatment programs and are those
typically involved in street life, perhaps a gang and in conflict with the law.
These youth pose unique and difficult care challenges for the province and
service providers.
