Pubdate: Mon, 22 Aug 2005
Source: Duluth News-Tribune (MN)
Copyright: 2005 Duluth News-Tribune
Contact:  http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/553
Author: Chris Hamilton
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

CHRISTIAN CENTER TO TACKLE METH

Drug Abuse: A Christian Organization Is Quietly Opening A Second Street 
Facility To Treat Chronic Alcohol And Drug -- Especially Meth -- Addicts

By November, a nonprofit plans to open a 44-person residential treatment 
facility for chronic drug and alcohol addicts in a century-old building in 
downtown Duluth.

Minnesota Teen Challenge is working on a $300,000 renovation of the 
Barnes-Ames Building -- a former YMCA and more recently the Duluth school 
district's Adult Learning Center, at 2 E. Second St.

Some neighbors and elected officials want to know more about what they feel 
could be a drain on an already troubled neighborhood. Proponents of the 
evangelical-based residential program say it will have the opposite effect.

The facility will be for men, about 65 percent of whom are probably 
addicted to methamphetamine, said Rich Scherber, executive director of the 
organization with headquarters in Minneapolis. MnTC's Christian emphasis, 
longevity and intensiveness make it more successful than most, he said.

"We did a survey recently and found that60 percent of the former residents 
we reached said they were drug-free one year later," Scherber said. "That 
is phenomenal for meth."

Addiction experts, social services and law enforcement officials 
increasingly call the spread of meth -- a highly addictive form of speed -- 
a growing epidemic in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Many welcome the facility.

Scherber said most residents will come from northern Minnesota, either 
through court-ordered treatment or private referrals. The program is 
voluntary and requires personal dedication and financial sacrifice, he said.

MnTC's facilities in the Twin Cities house more than 300 men, women and 
teens. According to National Teen Challenge, MnTC's umbrella organization, 
there are more than350 Teen Challenge facilities worldwide.

Scherber does not expect to treat juveniles or women in Duluth in the near 
future.

Last November, the Duluth School Board voted unanimously to sell the 
building at the corner of Lake Avenue and Second Street to MnTC for 
$300,000. Scherber expects as much will be spent on renovation. Nearly all 
the money comes from private foundations, churches and businesses.

Treatment is free to those who qualify, which is about 95 percent of those 
in the program. St. Louis County also has agreed to pay a $700-a-month 
general assistance subsidy for residents in the program, he said. Donations 
make up the rest of the $2,100 a month cost per person, Scherber said.

Anchor Or Lifeline?

The program appears to be under the radar.

There was no groundbreaking ceremony nor were news releases issued. Mayor 
Herb Bergson apologized Thursday because he wasn't aware of it.

"I've heard lots of people say they don't feel like they've received 
adequate notice about this facility," said City Councilor Russ Stewart.

The building is in his district, which also will become home to a 
controversial wet house for chronic alcoholics. The neighborhood already 
hosts a teen and homeless drop-in center, two soup kitchens and emergency 
shelters.

"A lot of the First Street businesses are fed up with services that take 
from the neighborhood and don't give back," said Stewart, who owns a 
business downtown. "And that's some people's perception of this."

Stewart said he's heard that Minnesota Teen Challenge is a responsible 
program in other communities. But because the project didn't require 
councilors' action, they didn't hear from the organization first-hand, 
Stewart said.

He'd like a presentation to the council, he said.

Scherber said on Friday he would soon contact the mayor or Stewart. His 
group was focused on getting the building into shape and didn't think to 
contact elected officials, he said.

They'd approached the School Board, county social services, city Planning 
Department and engineers, he said. One of their main supporters also has 
been former Mayor Gary Doty, Scherber said.

Dozens of churches asked the organization to open a treatment center here, 
he said. School Board members said proximity to students at nearby Unity 
High School shouldn't pose a problem, nor should neighbors.

Residents also would be under 24-hour supervision, Scherber said.

"Our approach is exactly the opposite of those services and missions that 
enable," Scherber said. "We try to break that behavior and remake people 
into good, productive citizens and taxpayers."

Their Way

The men live in the building for an entire year. They work on community 
projects -- such as shoveling sidewalks for shut-ins or painting a 
playground fence -- and are not allowed outside employment.

The Teen Challenge program focuses on spiritual and emotional wellness, 
such as overcoming rebellion and the self-destructive behavior, according 
to MnTC materials. A pastor is assigned to each man and residents are 
required to participate in daily prayer, chapel, counseling and choir.

"Minnesota Teen Challenge has had excellent success," said Deborah Durkin, 
an environmental health specialist with the Minnesota Department of Health 
who specializes in meth issues.

She said there are only about five small centers in the state aimed at 
meth. And MnTC might be the only one housing residents for a year at a 
time, Durkin said.

With the high cost of treatment, they can do that only with private 
support, she said. About 70 percent of the organization's money comes from 
donations, Scherber said.

With meth, Durkin said, the length of treatment appears to be more 
important than the type of treatment. That's because the brain is damaged 
by the drug and it can take six months or more to detox and recover many 
basic cognitive functions.

Scherber said they don't really have a special program for meth, because 
it's still a relatively new field of study.

"Our program is for any real chronic addicts and this is a great model," 
Scherber said. "It's no secret. We ask that they behave like a Christian, 
and you must show us you want to be a Christian."

Paul Rivard, 20, a recovering meth addict and MnTC counselor and pastor in 
training, said the Christian component was key for him and his family.

As he worked on the building's basement subflooring, he was asked why it 
worked for him. Rivard, from St. Paul Park, Minn., said "Jesus Christ, and 
the fact that it's long-term."

Duluth Bethel Society is another private nonprofit that operates five 
community programs, including a halfway house.

"Pretty much the No. 1 drug of choice we see is meth," said Mike McIntyre, 
residential treatment program director of the Duluth Bethel Society's Port 
Rehabilitation Center for chemical dependency.

McIntyre said they're nearly full, and about 40 percent of clients in the 
halfway house are fighting meth addiction.

"The good thing is, we believe we are getting better and better all the 
time with treating meth (addiction)," he said.

Barnes-Ames Resurrection

Dennis Bradshaw, a pastor and private contractor from Duluth, is overseeing 
the Barnes-Ames renovation and will stay on as maintenance supervisor.

Bradshaw said the building is in remarkable shape for its age. The original 
builders used excellent materials: a brick exterior, cast-iron stairwells, 
oak trim, heavy tiles and three-by-sixes for floors in the attic.

MnTC contractors had to fill in one of Duluth's few remaining indoor pools. 
It took360 yards of sand and a thick layer of concrete. Bradshaw said 
they'll turn the old poolside seats into three classrooms.

"You should have seen it," he said. "It's a shame, but there was no way to 
salvage it (the pool)."

Bradshaw said they're building a restaurant-grade kitchen and basement 
laundry, installing new walls, showers and handicap-accessible toilets.

The third floor will house the living quarters: 44 permanent beds in an 
open room with built-in lockers. The wood floors will be refinished and the 
interior painted.

The building has also yielded hidden treasure.

As a false wall was removed, workers found what's left of a mural of WWII 
soldiers. They haven't decided whether they'll try to salvage it, Bradshaw 
said. They also found an old projection room, where they probably played 
silent films in a long-dismantled theater on the third floor, he said.

"When I first came in here, I knew..." Bradshaw said. "Even when they first 
built this place, they were building it for Teen Challenge."
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MAP posted-by: Beth