Pubdate: Fri, 03 May 2002 Source: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (NY) Copyright: 2002 Rochester Democrat and Chronicle Contact: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/614 Author: Alan Morrell Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment) DRUG HELP GOES BEGGING IN ROCHESTER, PROVIDER SAYS Supply greatly exceeds demand for adolescent drug treatment facilities in the Rochester area, a leading drug treatment expert said Thursday. "There is a gross underutilization of treatment for 16- to 22-year-old victims," said Robert Lebman, vice president of DePaul Huther Doyle, a local treatment organization. Getting more youths into treatment should be more of a priority, he said -- or the youths will eventually wind up in the criminal justice system or dead. Lebman was one of several speakers who discussed drug-fighting strategies during a news conference Thursday at the Blue Cross/Blue Shield building downtown. The news conference was held to update the community on ideas from a December summit to curb the illegal drug problem here. Rochester Police Chief Robert Duffy convened the summit to get the so-called "War on Drugs" focused more on treatment, education and prevention. Typically, the drug problem has been handled as a law enforcement matter. But that approach hasn't worked, Duffy said, and attitudes are changing. "We are never going to arrest our way out of this problem," Duffy said. "We are never going to incarcerate our way out of it. We would like to see a whole different focus, with law enforcement, treatment, education and prevention working as a team, standing shoulder to shoulder." Summit participants formed six committees, most of which discussed their findings and plans Thursday. Members hope to achieve specific goals -- such as shutting down drug houses and reducing drug-related violence -- by the end of the year. Also Thursday: * Lebman said that making "a ton" of prevention and treatment agencies available to help City School District students is complicated by the independence of the schools within the district. "There is a Herculean task involved in going from building to building," he said, urging a more unified approach. "We need a fireball leader in the City School District to do that." * Duffy said that virtually every drug dealer Rochester police arrest is a high school dropout. He has contacted Superintendent Clifford Janey about getting a list of dropouts and finding a way for summit participants to work with them and keep them away from drugs. * It was reported that youths who most need treatment are not covered by health insurance. Duffy discussed other plans during a meeting with the Democrat and Chronicle editorial board Wednesday, including having residents patrol drug-infested neighborhoods with police and sending letters to residents whose vehicles are spotted in areas of drug trafficking. Craig Johnson, director of substance abuse programs at the Monroe Correctional Facility, said: "There has been a 20-year approach to criminalize addiction... . This is a counter-trend. The pendulum is swinging back." - --- MAP posted-by: Ariel