LEAF FOCUSES ON DRUG COURTS

ONEONTA - The role of drug treatment courts was the focus of this year's
LEAF Council on Alcoholism and Addiction's annual gathering at the Holiday
Inn in Oneonta on Friday.

Experts spoke about many aspects of the nation's drug problems during the
gathering, and workshops on drug treatment, drug testing and community
supervision were held for those who work with users of illegal drugs.

During the program, it was announced that Leo J. Giovagnoli, 40, of Oneonta
has been appointed coordinator of Otsego County's Drug Treatment Court.

Giovagnoli, a substance abuse counselor at the county's Chemical
Dependencies Clinic since 1989, will work with Otsego County Judge Michael
Coccoma to assure that drug court clients receive adequate treatment and
supervision.

Coccoma, who presides over the Drug Treatment Court, said Giovagnoli is an
excellent choice for the post. "Over the next few months, I want people
from all over to know that Leo is here to help us with this program," he said.

The county's Drug Treatment Court has 23 clients and by late spring or
early summer, the first of these clients will graduate from the program,
Giovagnoli said. Clients usually are enrolled after running afoul of the
law, typically from driving while intoxicated. If they qualify for the
program by having an addiction and a desire to control it, they are offered
an opportunity to get treatment rather than jail time.

Giovagnoli noted that the drug treatment court approach soon will be used
in the county's family court, where drug abuse is often linked to domestic
problems. By getting to the roots of problems and working closely with
clients to improve their lives, there is hope of reducing the destructive
behavior associated with abusing drugs, he said.

According to Warren Ryther, director of the county's probation department,
the drug court monitors its clients closely.

"We don't have the staff to do it ourselves, but we work with the other
agencies involved," he said. "A client may see a counselor one day and a
probation officer, the next. We work together to keep track of people. I
think that's the key; it's a coordinated approach."

Robert Russell, presiding judge of the Buffalo City Drug Court, said the
drug court approach is a more effective way to deal with drug users than
jail time.

Russell, the featured speaker Friday, said that "close to 50 percent" of
the nation's federal prisoners and about 25 percent of those in state
prison are doing time for drug-related crimes. And last year, the United
States had almost 2 million people behind bars, he noted.

"What's happening now is more people see we need a better way to deal with
these problems," he said.

The goal of drug courts is to intervene in people's lives, `'to get them
sober and then to work on changing their lives so they stay that way,"
Russell said. Drug courts work to improve a client's overall health and
environment, recognizing that an addicted person is likely to lapse into
bad habits if left if left to his own devices, he said.

Carl Kuhlmeier, primary care clinical coordinator at Conifer Park, a
treatment center in Glenville, said one of his goals is to make clients
realize they can make choices in their lives.

"On the one hand, they can keep doing what they're doing, and with the
Rockefeller drug laws, risk 25 years in prison. Or they can decide to
change their lives," he said.

Addicted clients often want to make irrational choices at first, but as
they work with counselors they can be rehabilitated, said Andrea Onderdonk,
a counselor at Conifer Park.

"We work on anger management and basic living skills," she said.

Onderdonk said she can "be very confrontational when I have to be. If I
have someone whose been selling crack, I might say, 'You can sell that
eight-ball in five minutes and make as much money as you would in a week at
a job. But if you do it, you're going to have to look over your shoulder
all the time, and where's the money going to come from when you're arrested?"'

Both Onderdonk and Kuhlmeier stressed that families can play a key role in
helping clients recover, by accepting a client's problems and encouraging
him to get better.

LEAF's Executive Director Elizabeth Currier said she was pleased with the
turnout and the quality of Friday's program.

"We have excellent people here from all over and I think we're learning a
lot today," she said.

Thomas Heitz, LEAF's publications director, noted that Charles Christman,
commissioner of the Otsego County Department of Social Services, will
receive this year's Robert S. Sioussat Award. The award, honoring LEAF's
founder, is given annually for efforts to help people resolve problems with
alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.