'PHASE FOUR IS DEATH'

Pathway treatment center wants to expand facility here to fight teen
drug use.

MICHIGAN CITY - Experimenting with addictive drugs quickly leads
adolescents to tragic consequences, according to Laurie Franke-Polz,
community liaison for Pathway Family Center, a not-for-profit
treatment center.

"Drug use has four phases, the first being experimentation, often
trying drugs because of peer pressure. This rapidly leads to phase
two, recreational use. Phase three is the severest, where the person
cannot survive without the drug," she said.

"Phase four is death," she said.

Wishing she hadn't said the word "death," Franke-Polz quickly went on,
saying, "it isn't really a phase," She said she preferred to say "they
will keep using until the body shuts down or there is a tragic accident.

"And without intervention the outcome is tragic," she
said.

Her point is, the Michigan City area needs intensive drug treatment
programs for young people, and she said the Pathway Family Center
wants to expand so these adolescents can be treated here instead of in
Indianapolis. Pathway is conducting a $750,000 fund drive to raise
money to expand the center and its services.

"There is a horrific need in Northwest Indiana," said Franke-Polz, who
formerly served as director of the Duneland Chamber of Commerce, and
in the 1980s worked at the Michigan City Chamber of Commerce.

Pathway Family Center is planning to open an adolescent treatment
center in Chesterton serving La Porte, Porter and Lake counties.
Pathway presents community education programs and conducts assessments
and referrals here, but its closest treatment site is in
Indianapolis.

Currently children from five area families are in the day treatment
program there. While it's not a day and night residential treatment
center, those in the program are under Pathway's care 24/7, she said.

"This treatment is for the family in crisis. These are kids who have
not just started to use, they are kids who cannot survive without
help. They have been kicked out of school, or are referred from
juvenile probation, Usually parents don't know what else to do. These
are kids who are using so heavily they are out of control,"
Franke-Polz said.

The day treatment programs uses a family host, she said. The youths
live with a cohesive family that is trained by Pathway's clinical
staff and experienced in providing the adolescents the support they
need.

"The host family drops them off in the morning, they stay all day, and
the host family picks them up again in the evening," she said. During
the day the teens undergo intense counseling and treatment. This
typically continues for 90 days.

"We then integrate them back into the community, and they go back to
their home school, usually in six to nine months. We also have four to
six weeks of aftercare," she said.

"We're training parents and teens how to be a family again,"
Franke-Polz said. Part of their training comes from teens who are more
advanced in their sobriety.

"All of this can be done locally for families in La Porte County. The
adolescents can return to La Porte or Michigan City schools, or
wherever they went to school. It's a logistical nightmare right now,
with the youths in treatment in Indianapolis," she said.

While host parents usually are used during early treatment, the teens'
parents are trained to provide the support the adolescents need to
eventually be reunited with their own child.

Pathway hopes to duplicate the service now provided in Indianapolis
and bring it to Northwest Indiana, she said.

The emergency room at St. Anthony Memorial in Michigan City is the
second largest referral source for families seeking help after
overdoses, second only to the schools, she said. Franke-Polz said that
figures from the Michigan City Police Department show that in 2007
there were 65 drug arrests of juveniles compared with 50 in 2006.
Figures from La Porte were 31 drug related juvenile arrests in 2007,
compared with 20 in 2006, she said.

As a state, Indiana detained and committed 183 juveniles per 100,000,
while the national rate is 125 per 100,000, she said.

Jeane Bock, coordinator of the La Porte County Drug Free Partnership,
agrees. "There is an absolute need," said Bock. She said police and
juvenile authorities are aware of the high correlation between those
who get into trouble and the use of drugs.

In her appeal to community leaders to support the fund drive,
Franke-Polz said, "In response to increasing deaths among area
adolescents in Porter, La Porte and Lake County, our communities
sought out Pathway to open a site locally. With our site in
Chesterton, we are seeking support to help use with the initial
start-up expenses until it can become self-sustaining."

Pathway opened its Northwest Indiana center in June 2007. It also has
centers in Indianapolis, Southfield, Mich., and Milford, Ohio. It
performs drug screening, substance abuse assessment and referral,
outpatient service and educational programs.

Franke-Polz said that this school year Pathway will conduct a drug
awareness program for all incoming freshmen at Michigan City High
School for the second year.

School community relations director Betsy Kohn remembers last year's
presentation. "They had an assembly, and some parents were there, too.
A teen and parent told a very moving story about how he was addicted
to drugs. It was very powerful. It makes you step back and realize it
could happen to you and others you know. This is serious, serious
stuff," she said.

Drug abuse isn't just a Michigan City problem, she
said.

"It's certainly at every high school."

Pathway sees abuse of a full range of drugs, "but in Michigan City now
the problem is heroin predominantly, as well as crack and marijuana,
because of the strength of the marijuana out there," Franke-Polz said.

"In the city of La Porte we have prescription drugs as well as
marijuana and a little bit of crack and a little bit of heroin."

Pathway reports that while drug problems are most devastating and
lethal to our youth, nine out of 10 adolescents with substance abuse
problems do not get the help they need.

La Porte County Drug Free Partnership's coordinator Bock said one of
the issues is the cost of treatment. "The issue is payment. It is very
expensive program," she said.

The fund drive will raise the money to create a program and open a new
building, but funding treatment still depends on insurance or other
sources.

Franke-Polz said Pathway uses a sliding scale to help make treatment
possible for people of all levels of income, and works with people to
obtains loans to help their children overcome drug addiction. It
offers what are called "Sobriety Scholarships" for teens who need to
stay sober and finish school.

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How to help

To donate or for information, visit www.pathwayfamily center.org. For
emergencies, contact the 24 Hour Parent Help line at
1-800-261-4605.

The mailing address is Pathway Family Center, 425 Sandcreek Drive
Suite C, Chesterton, IN 46304. The phone number is (219) 926-2583.

Suspicious changes

Behavior changes among teen drug users

. Changes in overall attitude and personality.

. Changes in habits at home, loss of interest in family and family
activities.

. Difficulty paying attention, forgetfulness.

. Sudden over-sensitivity, tantrums, resentful behavior.

. General lack of motivation, energy, self esteem and an "I don't
care" attitude.

. Moodiness, irritability or nervousness.

. Excessive need for privacy, unreachable.

. Secretive or suspicious behavior.

. Chronic dishonesty.

Source: Pathway Family Center