BUSH'S DRUG PLAN: A VIOLATION OF CHURCH-STATE DIVIDE?

His Proposal To Provide Vouchers For Treatment May Fund Programs That Don't
Meet Federal Standards.

NEW YORK - Wanda Haskins believes she's fully qualified to head up a
successful drug-treatment program. The reason is simple: "Been there, done
that," says the former crack addict.

Although the Virginia native has no formal training, she's now the director
of New Life for Girls, a nondenominational Christian drug-treatment center
in the Bronx.

Such situations are at the crux of the controversy over President Bush's
pledge this week to create a $600 million program to help an additional
300,000 people receive drug treatment over the next three years.

While the substance-abuse treatment community welcomed the overall program
as a significant step, many are also wary of its details. It would create a
voucher program that would allow individuals a choice of where to receive
treatment - and included is a provision that could allow federal dollars to
be used to support faith-based programs. A number of these programs, like
New Life for Girls, rely on the word of God rather than on formal training
to help addicts. As a result, many don't meet federal standards on
credentialing and training.

But still, the fact that drug treatment was even mentioned in Mr. Bush's
State of the Union address was seen as victory. "Drug treatment has been
woefully underfunded for many years," says Dr. Peter Provet, president of
Odyssey House, a substance-abuse agency based in New York. "Proposing to
allocate a significant amount of money toward treatment is very, very
important."

It's estimated there are 5 million people addicted to illicit drugs in the
United States, according to the National Household Survey done by the
Department of Human Services. In 2000, only 800,000 had access to treatment
services.

The president's proposed voucher program would make it possible for another
100,000 people a year to receive drug treatment. It would also create the
first structural change in the way the federal government delivers drug
treatment in a generation. Instead of most treatment funds going to states
in block grants, this new money will go to individuals.

"This structural change ties the help and the ability to get services
directly to the assessment that people need services, whether that's
residential or outpatient," says John Walters, director of National Drug
Control Policy.

Advocates of drug treatment support the notion of giving consumers genuine
choice, but many are alarmed by the faith-based details of this particular
plan. Currently, programs that are not certified by state or federal
governments, and in which the staff has no formal training, are not
eligible for federal funds.

"To set up a system which is not accountable for standards and quality is
not a constructive step," says David Rosenbloom of Join Together, a
substance-abuse research program in Boston. "Whether that's a religious
organization, community-based treatment, or fancy hospitals, they all need
to be accountable to the same set of quality standards."

Civil libertarians are even more concerned that it would violate the
separation of church and state by allowing federal dollars to be used to
fund religious conversions, which is at the heart of programs such as New
Life for Girls. Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a
nonprofit advocacy group, announced this week that it plans to challenge
the program in court.

"It's inconsistent with the traditions of American society," says the Rev.
Barry Lynn of Americans United. "We don't fund religious activities, even
good ones."

Mr. Walters believes such concerns are a red herring and points out that
many treatment programs are based on Alcoholic Anonymous's 12-step program,
which has spiritual foundation. He says he wants to be sure the program
isn't "bigoted," and that facilities aren't excluded simply "because they
have people of faith working there, or that they bring the power of their
faith to recovery."

In Wanda Haskins's experience, finding God was the only thing that she says
could keep her clean. She went through four secular treatment programs and
failed to stay sober before finding New Life for Girls.

"The counseling we do is the word of God, and I know it works because it
worked for me," she says.

Most treatment experts agree a spiritual component is important in
recovery, but many are wary of that being tied to any particular faith.
They also note studies have shown that the programs with the most success
are those that follow the National Institute of Drug Abuse's protocols,
which programs such as New Life reject.