- a weekly column published in the Pioneer Press

In my opinion, the most serious health problem in Siskiyou County is drug and alcohol abuse. Recent statistics show that in 1999, adult admissions to alcohol and drug programs in Siskiyou County were 12.3 per thousand, while the California average is 9.1 per thousand. County DUI arrests were 14.2 per thousand, compared to a State average of 8.7. In 1999-2000, mental health services were provided in the County at a rate of 39.96 per thousand, compared to a rate of 14.36 per thousand statewide. In 2003-2004, reported victims of domestic violence comprised 1.8 percent of the county's population, compared to a State average of about .55 percent.  

Siskiyou County’s Behavioral Health Services (BHS) Department provides outpatient services under the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Program. These include: Next Step; Summit Treatment and Recovery; and the Court’s Proposition 36 program. Clients may first be referred to a detoxification facility for 3-5 days, or to an inpatient treatment facility for treatment under a 30, 60 or 90 day program.

Next Step is an intensive “12 step” anchored, 20 week (four times a week,) outpatient treatment program open to all women 18 years of age and over. (Preference is given to substance-using women who are pregnant or parenting a child 17 years of age or under.) Next Step provides education about the disease of addiction, client assessment, individual and group counseling. The program includes random drug testing.

The Summit Treatment and Recovery Program is also a “12 step” anchored, 20 week course of outpatient care.  Depending on client assessment, the program runs 10.5 hours per week. Summit provides assessment and education, as well as individual and group counseling. The program includes random drug testing. Preference is given to clients referred by the Courts through Proposition 36.

The Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act of 2000, (Prop. 36,) provides funding for Alcohol and Drug treatment services for substance offenders in a collaborative effort with the Alcohol Drug Court, Family Dependency Treatment Court, Probation and Parole Authority. Clients who are not referred by the court are charged according to their income by a sliding scale, or their insurance is billed. Medi-Cal does not cover any portion of drug and alcohol services.  

Under the State and federal outpatient services umbrella, BHS provides only a minimal program for alcohol and drug abuse treatment. Local leaders from the medical field, faith-based community, parents, service clubs and others must be depended upon to step forward and fill in the gaps in combating this urgent health problem. As alternate member on the BHS Board, I am asking the Board to take up this issue as a focus for this year’s work. The Board meets alternatively in Yreka and Mt. Shasta at 5 p.m. the third Monday of every month. The next meeting is August 16 in Yreka. The public is welcome. We are also in need of additional Board members. Call 1-800-842-8979.

The Siskiyou Health Partnership also has a committee on alcohol and drug abuse. It meets on alternative months on the third Thursday at 8:30 a.m. at COS- Weed and BHS-Yreka. The next meeting is September 16 in the Board Room at the College of the Siskiyous in Weed. Contact Cheryl Sanchez at Klamath Health Services, Inc. 530-938-9500.

On the local level, last year Happy Camp started a Community Coalition with the goal that children and youth be alcohol and drug free, and have the skills, tools and opportunity to make healthy choices. With the help of Dr. Steve Burns, and the leadership of Karen Derry, they came up with a blueprint to set about attacking the problem:

(1)    Gather baseline information on key indicators such as substance use, crime figures, and available youth activities and services;

(2)    Develop a needs assessment specific to their community;

(3)    Determine “evidenced-based” programs that have been shown to be successful in addressing identified community needs;

(4)    Develop (grant and other) funding for these programs;

(5)    Implement the programs;

(6)    Track and monitor their effectiveness through before and after surveys, and documenting changes in key indicators over time; and

(7)    Repeating and adapting the program over time.

This blueprint can be replicated by interested parent groups. I hope to provide additional information about the groundwork established by the Coalition in future columns.

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