HEALING PLACE HOPES TO GROW

New site planned to treat women

RALEIGH -- Long before the first patient entered through the security doors
of the detox room at The Healing Place of Wake County, there was talk one
clinic wasn't enough. The Healing Place, a free alcohol and drug abuse
treatment clinic centered on the teachings of Alcoholics Anonymous, is for
men only. Located near the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, the center opened
in January 2001 and is strictly segregated as part of its yearlong plan to
rid men of their addictions.

Now, with The Healing Place on stable financial footing, its founders are
moving to create a clinic for women. Next month, they plan to launch an
18-month-long campaign to raise $9.8 million to build and operate the
Healing Place for Women. A portion of the money will help pay to run the
men's center and to fund an endowment.

Greg Patterson, chairman of the clinic's board of directors, said building a
women's center was something that couldn't be delayed any longer.

"I have to admit this is being done as much by a sense of guilt as anything
else," he said. "We're doing so much for men, but we're doing nothing for
the women of our community who need help. This is something we need to do."

The women's clinic will be about half the size of the men's center -- where
more than 150 patients stay on an average day -- and will be geared toward
the particular needs of its female clientele. It will have kitchens in some
rooms and provide housing for patients' children as they reach the end of
their treatment.

If the Healing Place's board is able to secure a lease (at $1 per year) from
the county for a 4.4-acre plot where the Beltline meets Poole Road,
construction will begin in two years, with the complex opening in early
2006.

The site is intentionally much farther away from downtown Raleigh than the
men's Healing Place.

"We want this to be a safe place where women can feel they're secure," said
Allen Reep, Healing Place's development director. "They'll be able to leave
some of the issues that are contributing to their addiction behind."

Modeled on the celebrated Healing Place of Louisville, Ky., Wake County's
version is claiming success after two years of operation. Of the 116 men who
have completed the program so far, 72 percent have stayed sober for at least
a year, Reep said.

The Healing Place is supported by both private and public money. Slightly
more than half of its $1.3 million annual budget comes from Wake County
government, the Wake County Board of Alcoholic Beverage Control and WakeMed.
The rest is provided by corporations, foundations and individuals. The
majority of patients are poor or homeless.

Patterson said the center has about $1 million in cash already donated
toward the fund-raising campaign and an additional $600,000 pledged. Once a
lease is secured, he said, the drive will truly be able to move forward.

The Healing Place will again ask local governments to provide a significant
amount of money. The city of Raleigh, which has given $15,000 to the center
so far, will receive particular attention. Wake County, which gave $1
million to build The Healing Place and supplies an additional $250,000 each
year for operating expenses, will be asked to do the same for the women's
clinic.

At their meeting Monday, county commissioners praised the work of The
Healing Place but stopped short of pledging money for a second center.

"The Healing Place is wildly popular because it's wildly successful," said
board Chairman Herb Council. "But the board is going to have to look at all
its priorities and figure out where it fits in."