News (Media Awareness Project) - CN ON: PUB LTE: Drug Treatment Court Is Highly Effective |
| Title: | CN ON: PUB LTE: Drug Treatment Court Is Highly Effective |
| Published On: | 2006-07-04 |
| Source: | Ottawa Citizen (CN ON) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-01-14 00:56:00 |
DRUG TREATMENT COURT IS HIGHLY EFFECTIVE
Re: Been there, done that, June 25.
Ottawa defence lawyer Gerry White has clearly earned the right to his opinions.
However, I would like to clarify the role and process of the Ottawa
Drug Treatment Court (DTCO), referred to at the end of the article.
Rideauwood Addiction and Family Services deliver the DTCO treatment
program in partnership with the Ontario Court of Justice.
Numerous hours of assessment and treatment planning occur before the
participant is ever released from custody. The accused must be
addicted to drugs and demonstrate a desire to change. Treatment
begins within 24 hours of release from custody. In some cases,
participants are sent directly from jail to residential treatment.
DTCO participants are expected to abstain from all drugs -- including
alcohol. They must attend treatment at least three times a week,
appear in court twice a week and are subject to frequent supervised
urine tests. They are required to attend Alcoholics
Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous meetings regularly. They are directed
as to where they may reside and whom they may associate with.
To successfully complete the program, participants must have stable
housing, be working or in school and they must be free of crime,
drugs and alcohol.
The Elizabeth Fry and John Howard societies provide offender
expertise and housing supports. The Somerset West Community Health
Centre and the Canadian Mental Health Association provide specialized
health care and mental health support.
Ottawa's Drug Treatment Court works well. We are seeing abstinence
rates that are second to none in clients who had $300- to $500-a-day
habits. There are many ways to affect addiction recovery. Most people
need many resources applied simultaneously and repeatedly. DTCO
applies every creative option our budgets allow -- and then some. It
is a highly effective tool to reduce crime, misery and addiction's
staggering $23 billion cost to Canada's economy.
R. Paul Welsh,
Ottawa,
Executive director
Rideauwood Addiction and Family Services
Re: Been there, done that, June 25.
Ottawa defence lawyer Gerry White has clearly earned the right to his opinions.
However, I would like to clarify the role and process of the Ottawa
Drug Treatment Court (DTCO), referred to at the end of the article.
Rideauwood Addiction and Family Services deliver the DTCO treatment
program in partnership with the Ontario Court of Justice.
Numerous hours of assessment and treatment planning occur before the
participant is ever released from custody. The accused must be
addicted to drugs and demonstrate a desire to change. Treatment
begins within 24 hours of release from custody. In some cases,
participants are sent directly from jail to residential treatment.
DTCO participants are expected to abstain from all drugs -- including
alcohol. They must attend treatment at least three times a week,
appear in court twice a week and are subject to frequent supervised
urine tests. They are required to attend Alcoholics
Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous meetings regularly. They are directed
as to where they may reside and whom they may associate with.
To successfully complete the program, participants must have stable
housing, be working or in school and they must be free of crime,
drugs and alcohol.
The Elizabeth Fry and John Howard societies provide offender
expertise and housing supports. The Somerset West Community Health
Centre and the Canadian Mental Health Association provide specialized
health care and mental health support.
Ottawa's Drug Treatment Court works well. We are seeing abstinence
rates that are second to none in clients who had $300- to $500-a-day
habits. There are many ways to affect addiction recovery. Most people
need many resources applied simultaneously and repeatedly. DTCO
applies every creative option our budgets allow -- and then some. It
is a highly effective tool to reduce crime, misery and addiction's
staggering $23 billion cost to Canada's economy.
R. Paul Welsh,
Ottawa,
Executive director
Rideauwood Addiction and Family Services
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