Pubdate: Tue, 04 Nov 2003 Source: Baytown Sun, The (TX) Copyright: 2003sBaytown Sun Contact: http://web.baytownsun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1696 Author: Joseph Lohan SUBSTANCE ABUSE An estimated 22 million Americans suffered from substance dependence or abuse last year, a study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services indicates. The study also found that 24 percent of substance abusers who sought treatment were unable to obtain it. Substance abuse is an enormous problem in our country. Fortunately, a local clinic is trying to help residents cope with their addictions and get the attention they need. The Bayshore Rehabilitation Clinic, which is run by the Mental Health and Mental Rehabilitation Authority of Harris County, recently hired Debbie Vassallo to provide chemical dependency counseling to clients in the area. Vassallo's counseling services are free to any person 18 or older with a substance abuse diagnosis. The service will also help those who are mentally ill or retarded and suffer from substance abuse. These counseling services, offered in individual and group sessions, are a big step in the right direction to alleviating the problem of substance abuse in our area. Many of those who recognize their unhealthy dependence on drugs and alcohol haven't gotten the help they need in part because there aren't many free services offered in the area. With the clinic's new counseling program, that's all changed. Vassallo has the credentials to be effective, too. The University of Houston Clear Lake graduate has a master's in psychology, more than 10 years of experience as a substance abuse counselor and has completed stints in Harris County teenage boot camps and Houston ISD educational programs. The United Way of Baytown Area is funding the project, giving the clinic $9,000 to offer the counseling program until mid-January, when it will be re-evaluated for possible further funding. The clinic is pushing for additional substance abuse services - like educational programs - and additional training for its staff. The success of the initial counseling program is pivotal to bringing in more services for those who suffer from addiction. Let's hope that people who need help make use of this service, and that the rehabilitation center can expand its services to help more people in our community. The Bayshore Rehabilitation Center is at 2001 Cedar Bayou Road. For more information, or to sign up for counseling services, call 713-970-7000. Note: Today's editorial was written by Joseph Lohan, city editor of The Baytown Sun, on behalf of the newspaper's editorial board. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek