Pubdate: Mon, 02 Apr 2001
Source: The News-Gazette (IL)
Copyright: 2001 The News-Gazette
Contact:  http://www.news-gazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1272
Author: Jodi Heckel
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136

FORUM SET TO DISCUSS METHADONE FACILITY

CHAMPAIGN Residents can learn more about methadone maintenance 
therapy and a proposed treatment facility for downtown Champaign on 
Thursday.

The Illinois Region 6 HIV Prevention Implementation Group, which 
provides HIV prevention services for a 24-county area, is sponsoring 
an educational symposium on reducing the spread of HIV and hepatitis 
in injecting drug users. The symposium includes information about 
methadone, which is used to treat heroin addiction.

Kendric Speagle, who operates Harm Reduction Resource, a nonprofit 
organization offering HIV education and prevention services, has 
proposed opening a methadone treatment facility at 12 W. Washington 
St. in downtown Champaign. Some downtown business owners and 
residents of the nearby Sesquicentennial Neighborhood have objected 
to the location of the clinic there because they are worried about 
increased crime and too many social service agencies saturating the 
area.

A separate community forum sponsored by the city of Champaign will be 
held Thursday evening and will include a presentation from Speagle 
and an opportunity for residents to voice their concerns.

Julie Pryde, program director for the Region 6 group, said she hopes 
the symposium will alleviate some of those concerns by providing 
residents with more information about methadone treatment.

"I think when some of their concerns are addressed, they won't be 
quite so nervous about this," she said. "The concerns I'm hearing 
expressed are based on misconceptions. They don't have these issues 
in Kankakee, they don't have these issues in Decatur (which both have 
methadone clinics). I've been there."

The symposium will be held at the Illinois Terminal, 45 E. University 
Ave., C., from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is $25 for those registering 
in advance or $40 at the door. Pryde said scholarships are available 
for those who are not connected with an agency but who want to 
attend. To register, contact Pryde at 352-8486, extension 196.

The morning sessions will include information about the impact of 
injection drug use on HIV and hepatitis from Illinois Department of 
Public Health officials, and about efforts to allow the purchase of 
syringes over the counter. An MSNBC special report on drug use will 
be shown during lunch.

In the afternoon, Dr. Sarz Maxwell of the Center for Addictive 
Problems, a Chicago methadone clinic, will discuss methadone therapy. 
Maxwell is an addictions psychiatrist who treats addicts and 
researches, writes and lectures extensively about addiction. The 
afternoon will also include a discussion of syringe exchange programs.

Herb DeLaney, president and chief executive officer of the Duane Dean 
Behavioral Health Center in Kankakee, will talk about the methadone 
treatment program there and how it exists in the community.

Pryde said her organization holds a symposium once a year to provide 
training aimed at reaching those at risk of contracting HIV. The 
symposium provides continuing education credits for nurses, addiction 
counselors and social workers.

This year, Pryde said she has tried to advertise the symposium to a 
wider audience and has reserved a larger space because of the 
controversy over Speagle's proposal for a methadone clinic in 
Champaign. She said almost 40 people had registered for the symposium 
by the end of last week, but most were health professionals. She said 
she was disappointed more community members had not yet registered to 
attend.

The symposium was scheduled to coincide with the city of Champaign's 
community forum on the proposed methadone clinic. The forum will 
begin at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall, 102 N. Neil St.

The forum will include a presentation from Speagle about the proposed 
methadone treatment facility. Residents and community organizations 
will then be able to voice their concerns about the proposal. A 
question-and-answer session will follow.
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MAP posted-by: Josh Sutcliffe