TROUBLED DRUG PROGRAM

THE FACT that a drug treatment program with as many problems as Reflections
Recovery Center is allowed to remain open is testament to the dire shortage
of help for addicts.

Reflections, located in Hackensack, has continually skirted state
regulations and permitted an alarming lack of supervision at rooming houses
that it runs for addicts. The program should be closed down if significant
improvements are not made by Aug. 1, the final deadline for correcting
deficiencies found by state inspectors.

A six-month investigation by Staff Writer Maia Davis, published last
Sunday, found rampant problems. Reflections' founder is a convicted felon
and former drug addict with a history of questionable behavior and run-ins
with the law.

The program's fee system is unorthodox to say the least. Clients are kicked
out for minor infractions, and the operators then charge them high fees for
readmission. It can cost more than $2,000 each time a client returns.

Several rooming houses affiliated with the program have had licensing or
zoning problems; one was closed down. Addicts crowded together in rooming
houses with little or no supervision is a recipe for disaster - and
repeated relapses.

Reflections officials say the complaints come from disgruntled former
clients and that the program's success rate is high. "The state loves our
program," says owner Harriet Molin.

But Deputy Health Commissioner George DiFerdinando disagrees. He says his
agency has spent "more time than usual trying to fix documented problems"
at Reflections, and that the program has a "substantial distance to go" to
meet state standards. The most recent inspection of the outpatient program
in May found 11 deficiencies that must be corrected, such as demonstrating
that someone trained in CPR is always present and that the staff is
properly trained.

Beyond those deficiencies, the state must ensure that patients in the
program are safe, that they and their families are not being taken
advantage of financially, and that supervision is rigorous enough to
prevent drug relapses.

If Reflections were licensed as a residential program, it would be subject
to far more rigorous oversight. The state acknowledges it did not know
clients were being housed by the program's owners when the outpatient
license was granted.

Unfortunately, courts and probation officers are still referring people to
this program. Families see that Reflections is licensed by the state and
assume it is well-run.

It is true that New Jersey has a severe shortage of treatment spaces for
substance abusers. Almost 140,000 people in the state seek treatment for
addiction each year, and more than half do not find it.

But even the state's troubling shortage is no excuse for tolerating a
flawed program that lacks rigorous supervision and has little
accountability. If Reflections can't be fixed quickly, it should be closed.