DRUG TREATMENT WINS FUNDING

Board Votes To Expand Addiction Program

Impassioned debate split the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on Monday
as a slim majority refused to backtrack on a commitment to expand drug and
alcohol treatment and reduce the state's longest waiting list.

In a rare 3-2 vote, the board made the hard choice to restore $500,000 to
expand addiction treatment for nearly 700 people. It found the money by
cutting funding from a new program for foster care and another project to
provide kitchen appliances and transportation to former welfare recipients.

The treatment-funding push was led by supervisors Rich Gordon and Jerry Hill
and backed by Mike Nevin, while board President Mary Griffin and Supervisor
Rose Jacobs Gibson strongly opposed cutting aid to troubled families.

Human Services Agency Director Maureen Borland opposed cutting the foster
care, saying: ``We've had so much trouble recruiting and retaining foster
parents.''

But Hill drew applause from treatment providers when he countered: ``If we
live up to our commitment and spend the funds for drug and alcohol
treatment, it will reduce the need for foster care parents. My concern is
that we're starting new programs before we take care of the original need
(to treat addiction).''

Treatment supporters said it would be wrong for the county to break a
five-year commitment to bring its addiction treatment rate up to the state
average for large counties of 22 slots per 10,000 population.

Last year, supervisors were disturbed by a state report showing that the
county had a meager 11 slots per 10,000 population in 1997, requiring people
to wait an average 50 days for treatment, compared with the 20-day statewide
average.

Contact Alan Gathright at agathright@sjmercury.com or (650) 364-4750.