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CLEAR Temp: 48 °F Wind: SSW at 5 mph Wednesday, February 5, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend January 31, 2003 Carrie Lee came to the OnTrack Home Program in Medford last October to overcome her addiction to crack. Addiction recovery services will be available to fewer people because of cuts resulting from the failure of Measure 28. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Addicts will face treatment delays Drug and alcohol programs have had to lay off personnel because of declining public funding By MEG LANDERS and JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune For Carrie Lee, being in an addiction recovery program has meant that next week she can look forward to delivering a healthy baby boy. "I was addicted to crack," explained Lee, 34, who came to the OnTrack Home Program in Medford for treatment last October. "This place has been a godsend." With the failure of Measure 28 on Tuesday, however, fewer people will have access to drug and alcohol treatment programs. Hundreds, many already ill and suffering from mental health problems as well, will have to be put on waiting lists, say directors of local treatment centers. "Generally, people on waiting lists for residential substance abuse treatment are already quite ill," said Chris Mason, executive director of Addictions Recovery Center in Medford. She said those in alcohol and drug treatment often also need mental health services, and those, too, are being cut because of statewide revenue shortfalls. Rita Sullivan, director of OnTrack Inc., said those seeking outpatient services likely will have to wait longer for their appointments, but for some populations, that won’t work. "It’s not OK to put pregnant women on wait lists," she said. Lee said she could not have overcome her drug addiction without the help of OnTrack. From prenatal care to therapy and relapse prevention, the agency "helped walk me through the steps to get me what I needed," said Lee, whose baby will be adopted. Measure 28 would have raised $725 million statewide over three years through a temporary income tax increase. Once it failed, state agencies and schools immediately had to cut $310 million from this year’s budget. OnTrack, which provides treatment beds and outpatient services for some 4,500 to 5,000 clients each year, laid off eight staff members and cut five of its 21 beds for residential treatment in Jackson County. Addictions Recovery Center also laid off eight people and cut five of its 20 beds. Mason estimates ARC’s waiting list will jump by 45 percent, which translates to 75 to 100 people. "We’ll continue to provide services and we’ll provide good services, there’ll just be less of them," she said. Barbara Roth, clinical director of the OnTrack Home Program, said alcohol and drug treatment programs save money in the long run by ensuring that drug-free mothers give birth to healthy babies who won’t need special programs as they grow. "If you can keep one baby from being born drug-affected, you’re saving hundreds of thousands of dollars," she said. OnTrack and ARC are private nonprofit agencies that contract with the state and county to provide treatment. Sullivan said keeping programs like OnTrack funded is more cost-effective than cutting them. "The taxpayers are going to pay for the behaviors we can’t treat. Psychiatric wards, jails, we’re going to pay for them." The impact of cuts in alcohol and drug treatment ripples across the system, she said. "It’s well understood that drug and alcohol treatment needs to be addressed before other needs are addressed." She also pointed out that alcohol and drug programs are privatized. "You can’t get any more cost-efficient than a private, nonprofit system," she said. Lee also said there will be repercussions from the cuts. "If society wants not to have addicts and drug abusers and a lot of the crime associated (with it)," said Lee, "they have to support things like this." Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481or e-mail [email protected] . Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465,or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S