Pubdate: Sun, 03 Sep 2006
Source: Surrey Leader (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 Surrey Leader
Contact:  http://www.surreyleader.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1236
Author: Kevin Diakiw
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

GOOD TREATMENT KEY TO COURT-ORDERED RECOVERY

Court-ordered drug recovery is only useful when backed  with 
effective treatment programs, according to a  senior expert on addiction.

The combination will be key as civic officials debate a  host of 
crime reduction initiatives that include  sending drug-addicted 
criminals to treatment.

Critics of the program say people forced into treatment  are doomed 
to fail. Addicts have to truly want  treatment to succeed, they say.

However, one of the top addictions experts in the  province disagrees.

Dr. Ray Baker, architect of UBC's addiction medicine  program, said 
the plan backed by Surrey Mayor Dianne  Watts sounds workable.

Baker, a South Surrey resident, performed outcome  studies on drug 
courts when officials in Vancouver  considered that approach.

"I did the research and what I found is it's no  surprise if what you 
mandate is good evidence-based  treatment, you get good outcomes," 
Baker said. "If you  use force to mandate poor quality treatment, 
guess  what? It's like garbage in, garbage out."

Simply legislating addicts into recovery will produce a  "dog's 
breakfast" of results, he said.

"You're going to get resentful people in a program that  looks 
stupid," Baker said. "It doesn't work."

He doesn't agree with critics who claim ordering people  into 
treatment is ineffective.

He points out companies do it frequently with  employees, threatening 
them with termination if they  don't get off drugs.

"We do it all the time with doctors and airline pilots  and we get 
the highest rate of recovery out of any  group in the world," Baker 
said. "It works like a hot  damn, they have to have something they want."

For professionals, it's often their jobs at stake - for  criminals, 
it's their freedom.

For various reasons, people who are successful in  recovery feel 
there's no longer a choice, say  addictions experts.

"I've treated over 5,000 addicts, and not one of them  has come to me 
voluntarily," Baker said.

Watts wants to learn from Vancouver's experience and is  lobbying for 
a community court, rather than drug court.

Her preferred approach would enable justices to direct  the accused 
to a host of services including assisted  housing, drug and alcohol 
treatment and job training.

She's also cracking down on unregulated recovery homes  in this city, 
preparing a path for effective treatment.

Baker said it sounds like a successful model, but  stressed the 
importance of properly assessing the needs  of the addicted.

"It has to be based on a good assessment and a good  treatment," Baker said.

Surrey's crime reduction task force will discuss the  ideas further on Sept. 18.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman