Pubdate: Sun, 01 Apr 2001
Source: Redding Record Searchlight (CA)
Copyright: 2001 Redding Record Searchlight - E.W. Scripps
Contact:  http://www.redding.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/360
Author: Tim Hearden, Record Searchlight

COUNTY GETS STARTED ON TREATMENT PROGRAM

Shasta County will consider hiring nine new employees and finding a 
location to implement Proposition 36, the drug and alcohol treatment 
initiative approved by California voters in November.

The Board of Supervisors will decide Tuesday how to spend $337,846 in state 
funds earmarked for Shasta County under the initiative, which requires that 
certain adult offenders be sentenced to substance-abuse treatment rather 
than jail.

The money may be used to hire three social workers, two deputy probation 
officers, two office clerks, a staff services analyst and a legal clerk, 
and to find and equip a building in Redding for the program.

"As the actual implementation date for the changes created by Proposition 
36 is July 1, 2001, the planning committee identified the hiring and 
training (of) the staff . . . as one of the first objectives needed to be 
accomplished," three county officials wrote to the Board of Supervisors in 
a report. The officials were alcohol and drug program Director David 
Reiten, Mental Health Director James Broderick and Chief Probation Officer 
Renny Noll.

California voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 36, which provides $60 
million this year and $120 million a year thereafter until 2006 to counties 
to pay for treatment costs. Shasta County voters rejected the initiative by 
a 55 percent to 45 percent margin.

The county will receive $675,696 for each fiscal year starting with 
2001-02, which begins in July.

A 14-member panel of county officials formed to implement Proposition 36 
recommends spending $50,000 on salaries between now and the end of June and 
$149,000 on a new facility.

Other start-up costs will include purchasing a $30,000 vehicle specially 
equipped for the program, and spending $30,000 on outside "professional 
services" to begin the program, the officials said.

In other business, the Board of Supervisors will hold an afternoon workshop 
Tuesday to discuss the county's capital improvement plan, which could 
include a new county administrative office and other buildings.
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D