DRUG TREATMENT CENTER COULD HAVE WIDE IMPACT

The meth treatment center proposed for Casper would not only help
people kick a substance abuse problem, it could help reduce crime
and save employers money, Casper Police Chief Tom Pagel said.

Such a facility was identified in a community study as the biggest
gap in services to people with drug addiction.

"We see this as a resource that is currently not available to our
citizens. It completes the circle of care, if you will," Pagel said.

It costs taxpayers about $100,000 for the average 34-month jail stay
of someone convicted of a drug-related crime, but much less to
provide treatment for the drug problem that was the root of the
crime, he said.

Community support for the project has been "wonderful," said Mike
Huston, director of the Central Wyoming Counseling Center, where the
facility would be located.

He is hosting a press conference Tuesday morning to discuss the
fundraising efforts.

The goal is to have the $7 million building costs paid for
completely by the counseling center and the community. There have
been private donations and the city will vote Tuesday on
contributing $1 million in Optional One Percent Tax funds.

The center hopes the Legislature will agree to pay for the $3.5
million annual operating costs. The plan has support from Gov. Freudenthal.

The program will add long-term residential care to Casper's menu of
services for people with substance abuse problems. A stay may be 60
to 90 days, followed by transitional care.

The center currently has some residential care, but has waiting
lists. Programs around the state also have waiting lists, and there
are few options for people who can't afford the care.

The Central Wyoming Counseling Center is Casper's oldest such
facility, around since 1959.

As the city's designated community mental health center, it is
partly government-supported and must provide services to everyone,
charging based on an individual's ability to pay, Huston said.

If everything goes according to plan, construction could start in
April or May and take 12 to 14 months.

The program would not be for violent criminals, but rather for
people who choose on their own to seek treatment, or for those
directed there through the court system, Pagel said.

He hopes early intervention will keep people from committing crimes,
or keep them from becoming more serious criminals.

The program might also provide more of a drug-free work force to
Casper businesses, some of which hesitate to drug test for fear
there won't be anyone clean to hire.

Pagel said meth is still a big problem in Casper but seems to have
leveled off.

"We are starting to see some numbers that indicate maybe we are at
the crest," he said, considering drug arrests, foster placements,
counseling services and other indicators.

He believes public awareness is high, but that doesn't mean the
problem is near being under control.

"Maybe we have educated the public and discouraged people from
trying the drug," he said.