Pubdate: Wed, 22 Aug 2001
Source: Oklahoman, The (OK)
Copyright: 2001 The Oklahoma Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.oklahoman.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/318
Author: Diane Plumberg Clay

ONE-STOP PROGRAM TO FIGHT DRUG ABUSE IN POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY

Gov. Frank Keating and a former member of President Carter's Cabinet 
announced Tuesday they plan to start a substance abuse program for families 
in Pottawatomie County.

The Safe Haven program is designed to combine several state agencies and 
services into one location for families dealing with substance abuse, 
addiction and the abuse or neglect of children. One hundred families will 
participate -- some voluntarily, some by court order.

"For us as Oklahomans ... to be a more productive society we need to 
address the issue of substance abuse," Keating said during a news 
conference at the state Capitol.

"To do less is to jettison our future."

Keating and Joseph Califano, president of the National Center on Addiction 
and Substance Abuse at Columbia University in New York, said they want to 
target substance abuse to help cure social ills such as teen-age pregnancy, 
divorce, domestic abuse and school dropouts. Califano served as secretary 
of health, education and welfare from 1977 to 1979.

The program will combine substance abuse treatment, parenting classes, 
child care, literacy programs, job training, law enforcement, family 
courts, and foster and adoption services.

The project will start Oct. 1 and will continue as long as the county, 
state and foundations or businesses can pay for it.

Marilyn Thoms, an administrator working with the substance abuse center on 
the Safe Haven project, said other counties, including Cleveland, Wagoner, 
Stephens, Jefferson and Cotton, have similar programs. But those programs 
are not as complete as the Safe Haven project.

She said combining services will make it easier for addicted family members 
to get help and achieve their goals of staying clean. She said the 
traditional way of offering help is too complex to be effective for many 
people.

Califano said the next Safe Haven projects will open in Phoenix and New 
York City.

The national center created the Safe Haven programs after a study in 1999 
found that substance abuse causes or exacerbates seven out of 10 cases of 
child abuse or neglect.
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