DRUG CENTER STRIVES TO KEEP FAMILIES INTACT

Lighthouse of the Sierra, an innovative drug and alcohol treatment center
for addicts that also provides housing to keep their families together,
opened today in northeast Reno.

The $3.7 million center will offer homes to 26 families and a variety of
on-site treatment programs and services at the 6-acre complex on Clear Acre
Lane at the entrance to Sun Valley.

"Because of the way we're funded, it's only open to families that have a
female addict in the household at this time," said Diane Thorkildson, head
of the Step 2 residential addiction treatment facility for women and
families and the lead agency for Lighthouse of the Sierra.

Once accepted into Lighthouse, addicts must commit to full participation in
all programs, ranging from substance abuse treatment and family counseling
to parenting classes and job-skills development.

Participants will pay a sliding-scale fee for housing and services based on
income, Thorkildson said.

The project is funded by 35 grants from federal, state and local governments
and private foundations.