DRUG, ALCOHOL PROGRAM WON'T WORK ON FAITH ALONE, CRITICS SAY

A new faith-based program for helping recovering alcoholics and drug addicts
got a public airing Saturday on the north side -- and critics charged, "We
are not going to pray anyone out of addiction." February 28, 1999

State Sen. Robert Welch (R-Redgranite) brought details of the proposed
Faith Works program to the monthly Community Brainstorming Conference
at St. Matthew Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, 2944 N. 9th St.

The program, based on a New York City model, is proposed for a former
convent at N. 35th and W. Center streets. It would serve 50 people.

Though the city's Board of Zoning Appeals still must grant permission,
Welch said he hopes the program will be up and running by July 1.

And as for the use of religion in fighting addiction, Welch said, "I
think faith has everything to do with it."

Welch, one of the major proponents of the plan, said many of the
current treatment and prevention programs don't work.

Quoting from the Gospel according to Luke, Welch told the story of the
good Samaritan who saved the life of a stranger who was stripped,
beaten and left to die by robbers.

"The good Samaritan didn't call for a social worker," Welch said. "We
pretend we have compassion. Spending money is not compassionate. In
fact, it's dispassionate."

Those comments brought sharp responses from residents, local
governmental officials and health care personnel who work with addicts.

"It takes counseling techniques and prevention, and not just faith
alone," said Pam Malone, who is an alcohol and drug abuse counselor
and instructor at Milwaukee Area Technical College. "We are not going
to pray anyone out of addiction."

County Supervisor Elizabeth Coggs-Jones said the county's funding for
drug and alcohol treatment and prevention has been cut by 60 percent
in the past several years.

"The crack cocaine problem is enormous in our community," said
Coggs-Jones. "The cuts have been so devastating."

She said funding has been earmarked for building prisons to
"warehouse" addicts instead of treating the addiction that may have
led them to break the law in the first place.

But Welch said that if all the lost treatment money were restored, "we
would still have a drug problem."

The Faith Works plan, he said, provides recovering addicts with a
disciplined, long-term residential environment.

The center will take the most hard-core drug and alcohol abusers, who
must sign a contract promising to stay completely clean before
receiving food, shelter and a family-supporting job, Welch said.

County Supervisor Lee Holloway, who also attended the forum, said he
plans to fight the initiative, particularly because the program would
be in the same building as St. Mary's Nursing Home, 3516 W. Center St.
"I have been working with a congressional body to support expanding
the elderly program," Holloway said. "I'm real concerned about this
program. It had no local input."

Welch said the program would use a part of the building separated from
the nursing home.

Others invited Welch and other legislators to come out and see their
programs for drug and alcohol treatment and prevention before judging
whether they are effective.

"We are all doing these things you talk about," said Sam Marjanov, who
works for the Matt Talbot Recovery Center.