Pubdate: Thu, 30 Dec 2004
Source: Journal News, The (NY)
Copyright: 2004 The Gannett Company, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.nyjournalnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1205
Author: Bob Baird, The Journal News

FOR MANY, A LIFELINE VANISHES

When Ben Walker died in the terror attacks at the World Trade Center,
his wife Laura's life crumbled, too.

Watching the events unfold, the Airmont mother knew she and her
children would need help to get through the days, months and years
ahead.

That Friday, she turned to the support staff at Cherry Lane Elementary
School, right across the street from their home.

They pointed her to the Ramapo Counseling Center in Hillcrest, a
service agency of the town, which is closing its doors today after 20
years of helping residents with alcohol and substance abuse problems,
family tragedies and loved ones away at war.

The center, with a staff of 14 full- and part-time counselors and
consultants, has fallen victim to a crossfire between the town budget
and changing state regulations.

"We're the innocent bystanders," says Joseph Lanzone, who had been the
director since 2002 and assistant director for 11 years before that.
"We get shot, and everyone else survives."

The roots of the center's demise go back about five years, he says,
when the state started pressing for centers such as Ramapo's to shift
from a social model to programs with medical supervision. That would
make it possible for clients to use their health insurance or get
services under Medicaid. Lanzone thinks it's part of a long-range plan
by the state to get out of direct treatment and shift those costs to
the federal government.

With the center already treating clients on a sliding fee scale --
with some paying very little and others nothing -- there were problems
with making the conversion.

Medical supervision, which at a minimum means having a psychiatric
consultant, would cost more. The state, Lanzone says, wanted other
costly administrative changes, including hiring an assistant director
- -- a position unfilled since his promotion.

Still, the conversion moved ahead, and a preliminary application for a
new treatment license was approved. But the town and state never could
come to terms over medical supervision.

"In order to operate as a substance-abuse facility," Lanzone says, "we
need a state treatment license. In effect, the state pulled that
license, and then the town decided to eliminate prevention programs as
well."

With the license gone, the center's funds were cut from the 2005 town
budget.

Ramapo Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence was out of the office
yesterday, and efforts to reach him by cell phone to discuss the
closing were unsuccessful.

Town Attorney Michael Klein says, "We weren't going to get into hiring
medical staff," adding that the town would continue prevention work
through community groups, such as Ramapo Rescuing Our Youth Coalition,
and through police youth programs.

The counseling center, and Lanzone in particular, responded quickly
following the death of Suffern High School student Emily Bushkin, who
was killed in an alcohol-related crash. It has been involved in
outreach in Suffern's Mexican community and two years ago started
counseling for the Orthodox community. It's so committed to bringing
anti-drug and anti-alcohol messages to students, Lanzone says, that
two staff members -- Stacey Casden and John Dunn -- are volunteering
their time next month to present the annual Drug Awareness Day for
high school students.

The all-day program will be held Jan. 12 at Rockland Community
College.

And while accomplishing all that, it's been there for people like
Walker and her children.

She's seen Lanzone weekly since Sept. 11. One of her sons has been
working with counselor Ed Durso, and the other would have started with
him soon, she says.

All three will still see Lanzone, who has a private counseling
practice in New City, but only because the Red Cross will pay for the
sessions for about 26 weeks.

"So, you get six months to get better," she says, with sarcasm in her
tone. It's not that simple when it comes to her children, she says.

"I'm constantly on virgin ground here. As they grow and change, the
issues change, and new ones emerge that need to be addressed," she
says. "Ed and Joe know me and my family for three years. You can't
just start over with someone new."

Lanzone says staff members, a few of whom also have private practices,
are applying for other counseling jobs.

"My concern is for the many of our 135 or so clients who will be
unable to find services to match what they were getting here because
of their financial situation."

He and his staff have spent the past two weeks helping clients with
referrals, but it's not easy. Private treatment, he says, is very
expensive. Some will turn to self-help groups or to programs that are
Medicaid funded. But some, he says, will be turned away because they
earn too much or are undocumented aliens.

"We've been able to fill the gap for people who often fall through the
cracks," Lanzone says. "Unfortunately now, they're probably going to
fall."
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MAP posted-by: Derek