| In the world of substance abuse treatment today | | | | attend a private in-patient facility, so he gets on the |
| there exists a great chasm separating profitable | | | | waiting list behind hundreds just like him for the |
| in-patient programs and struggling outpatient | | | | county, or state ran in-patient facility. In the |
| programs. The problem however is more than just a | | | | meantime he is still an addict and amazingly he was |
| profitability problem, it is a social problem that leaves | | | | not instantly cured when he entered the criminal |
| a huge void in the front lines of the war against | | | | justice system, so in the six months or so it takes to |
| substance abuse. | | | | get into the county treatment system he of course |
| Personally I am very much an advocate of our free | | | | continues using and steeling etc. Inevitably the addict |
| market system, although probably everyone would | | | | ends up getting arrested several more times and |
| agree there are some significant problems related to | | | | never makes his appointment for the in-patient |
| heath care. Although the topic is somewhat less | | | | treatment he needs. |
| popular, at the leading edge of the healthcare issue | | | | Some Judges have caught on to futility of this |
| resides substance abuse treatment. There are some | | | | disturbing trend and in an attempt to brake this |
| tell-tell attitudes about substance abuse that are less | | | | criminal justice system cycle will order people who |
| than healthy. I have had occasion to speak with | | | | need in-patient treatment to a private General |
| many parents that say something to effect that | | | | out-patient facility. The general outpatient treatment |
| they had sought professional help for their addicted | | | | provider will generally do as the judge orders and |
| child only after they had tried all other options. I | | | | provide the treatment as best they can. I do not |
| spoke with one father who told me that he did not | | | | want to lay the blame on our Judges, they are just |
| live far from the treatment facility where I worked | | | | reacting the best they can to a problem that is |
| and that before he found out that his son was | | | | largely out of their control. The private GOP facility is |
| addicted to heroine he had passed a petition around | | | | obliged if not obligated to follow the Judge's order, if |
| his neighborhood in an attempt to shut us down. | | | | they don't there is another ready and willing to pleas |
| There has been some improvements in the | | | | the court and get all those referrals. Most GOP |
| community, most of which unfortunately have been | | | | facilities that are not subsidized by the State are just |
| forced due to substance abuse symptoms | | | | scraping by and they can't afford to turn down a |
| experienced. | | | | single referral even if they belong in an in-patient |
| The way the system is set up is not necessarily a | | | | facility. |
| bad idea, the problem is that we are unable and | | | | The obvious solution to this problem is for more |
| unwilling to stick to the plan. An addict should first of | | | | people to offer in-patient treatment. Well that all |
| all be recognized early on in the addiction and receive | | | | sounds great but in-patient is expensive to run and |
| the appropriate treatment, but they don't. The addict | | | | although most in-patient programs are not struggling |
| should receive an assessment from a real therapist, | | | | financially they are still expensive programs to run |
| but they don't. The addict should be admitted into an | | | | and you can't get away with bringing the price low |
| in-patient facility regardless of bed availability or | | | | enough for the average addict to benefit from it. |
| affluence, but they are not. The addict should receive | | | | The only people who make it into a private in-patient |
| General Out-patient treatment when needed and not | | | | facility have some kind of wealthy benefactor, |
| when they have the ability to pay or six months | | | | unfortunately this exclude our long time meth addict |
| down the road when the County finally has an | | | | who has lost everything and burned every bridge. |
| opening. | | | | The short and long term solution to the problem is to |
| Let me paint a familiar scenario for you. We will start | | | | show people the truth about substance abuse. As |
| with a well known Methamphetamine addict who has | | | | soon as enough of our kids die from heroine |
| racked up a bunch of felony possession and theft | | | | overdoses, soon as the epidemic effects enough of |
| charges. This guy has been in and out of jail for | | | | the decision making population then I expect we will |
| years and has charges out of multiple courts. Now | | | | do as we have done in the past with all catastrophic |
| usually what happens is that he gets put in jail, the | | | | problems, that is throw a bunch of federal money at |
| Public Defender relates to the Judge that this | | | | the problem and wonder why things got so out of |
| individual has a crippling addiction and they work out | | | | control. It would be nice if we could show the public |
| some kind of plea agreement and the defendant is | | | | what the future holds if we continue on the currant |
| ordered to get an assessment and follow the | | | | track, and get the help for the people who really |
| recommended treatment. The addict gets the | | | | need it but cannot afford it. Eventually society ends |
| assessment which recommends in-patient followed | | | | up paying the price for the un-helped addict. We pay |
| by intensive out-patient and then general out-patient. | | | | for them in prison, we pay for their children's care, |
| This guy has been an addict for a while and there is | | | | we pay when our kids die. So lets pay now and pay |
| no way he is coming up with $ 30,000.00 plus to | | | | less and maybe even save a lives in the process. |