Pubdate: Sun, 21 Jul 2002
Source: Bergen Record (NJ)
Copyright: 2002 Bergen Record Corp.
Contact:  http://www.bergen.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/44

TROUBLED DRUG PROGRAM

THE FACT that a drug treatment program with as many problems as Reflections 
Recovery Center is allowed to remain open is testament to the dire shortage 
of help for addicts.

Reflections, located in Hackensack, has continually skirted state 
regulations and permitted an alarming lack of supervision at rooming houses 
that it runs for addicts. The program should be closed down if significant 
improvements are not made by Aug. 1, the final deadline for correcting 
deficiencies found by state inspectors.

A six-month investigation by Staff Writer Maia Davis, published last 
Sunday, found rampant problems. Reflections' founder is a convicted felon 
and former drug addict with a history of questionable behavior and run-ins 
with the law.

The program's fee system is unorthodox to say the least. Clients are kicked 
out for minor infractions, and the operators then charge them high fees for 
readmission. It can cost more than $2,000 each time a client returns.

Several rooming houses affiliated with the program have had licensing or 
zoning problems; one was closed down. Addicts crowded together in rooming 
houses with little or no supervision is a recipe for disaster - and 
repeated relapses.

Reflections officials say the complaints come from disgruntled former 
clients and that the program's success rate is high. "The state loves our 
program," says owner Harriet Molin.

But Deputy Health Commissioner George DiFerdinando disagrees. He says his 
agency has spent "more time than usual trying to fix documented problems" 
at Reflections, and that the program has a "substantial distance to go" to 
meet state standards. The most recent inspection of the outpatient program 
in May found 11 deficiencies that must be corrected, such as demonstrating 
that someone trained in CPR is always present and that the staff is 
properly trained.

Beyond those deficiencies, the state must ensure that patients in the 
program are safe, that they and their families are not being taken 
advantage of financially, and that supervision is rigorous enough to 
prevent drug relapses.

If Reflections were licensed as a residential program, it would be subject 
to far more rigorous oversight. The state acknowledges it did not know 
clients were being housed by the program's owners when the outpatient 
license was granted.

Unfortunately, courts and probation officers are still referring people to 
this program. Families see that Reflections is licensed by the state and 
assume it is well-run.

It is true that New Jersey has a severe shortage of treatment spaces for 
substance abusers. Almost 140,000 people in the state seek treatment for 
addiction each year, and more than half do not find it.

But even the state's troubling shortage is no excuse for tolerating a 
flawed program that lacks rigorous supervision and has little 
accountability. If Reflections can't be fixed quickly, it should be closed.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart