Pubdate: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 Source: Santa Barbara News-Press (CA) Copyright: 2001 Santa Barbara News-Press Contact: P.O. Box 1359, Santa Barbara, CA 93102 Website: http://www.newspress.com/ A WELCOME HAVEN Perhaps nothing causes more anguish for a woman who needs to enter a drug or alcohol recovery program than being forced to give up her children in order to qualify. There's a real irony -- not to mention real pain -- in the fact that to get clean and sober, she must surrender what most likely is her sole reason for wanting to stay clean and sober. That is, unless she is fortunate enough to find her way to Santa Barbara's Oliver House. The house, which opened last March, is a project of Casa Serena, a recovery center that has been helping local women for the past 40 years. A substance abuser who manages to remain drug-free and sober for 90 days at Casa Serena - -- without her children -- can be considered a candidate for Oliver House, which welcomes children along with their recovering moms. Oliver House is the only recovery home on the South Coast that allows women to keep their children while they rebuild their lives. It is, we think, an idea worth replicating. Take Linda Johnston. A 30-year-old heroin addict with an 11-year-old son, she found herself sitting in a jail cell, six months pregnant, having been booted out of a recovery program for relapsing on pills. That was after a former spouse attacked her, breaking her kneecap and crushing several discs in her back. Her son had called 911 to report his dad was killing his mom. Since then, the state had taken the boy away, declaring his mother unfit to care for him. "I was tired, I was in jail, I was scared to death they would take my son forever, and my new baby," Johnston said. "I discovered that my children were the most important thing." Today, Johnston is clean and sober and caring for her 10-week-old daughter at Oliver House. Back surgery has helped ease the chronic pain she suffered as a result of her ex-husband's assault. And her son is not only making regular visits, he is preparing to move back in with her. When a woman begins the program at Casa Serena, she is not required to relinquish custody rights to her children. Instead, during the first 90 days of her recovery, specially trained and licensed host families -- provided by Noah's Anchorage, a shelter for runaways -- care for her children. Once she has completed her 90 days at Casa Serena and has been accepted at Oliver House, the woman can be reunited with her children. And then the hard work really begins. Parenting is a key component of the program, and Oliver House works closely with other non-profit agencies to ensure that clients like Johnston can tend to their children while staying sober. "Maternal alcoholism is devastating on a child, and we are helping women get and stay sober, and to be good parents," explains Casa Serena executive director Marina Ross. Clients also are required to participate in 12-step programs, have jobs or work as volunteers and contribute some portion of the rent. They have access to counseling and help with legal, employment, education, child custody and medical care issues. "These women have to learn how to manage jobs, get their children to day care, stay sober, and be a mom," points out Nicole Miller, a parenting counselor with Project First Steps. "It's a lot of responsibility, and what's great about Oliver House is that they get to share this with other sober women." A capital campaign is currently underway to raise $1 million to pay off the mortgage at Oliver House and to secure funding for operations. About $700,000 has been raised so far. We can't think of a cause more deserving of community support. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D