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."
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