Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Tom Riley 202-395-6618
March 12th, 2003
WHITE HOUSE DRUG CZAR VISITS LOCAL FAITH-BASED DRUG TREATMENT CENTER
(Washington, DC) —John P. Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), today visited the Salvation Army's Harbor Light drug treatment center in N.E. and provided details of President Bush's new three-year, $600 million plan to expand access to drug treatment across America. The new initiative creates a voucher program that will complement existing alcohol and drug abuse treatment programs, increase treatment capacity, and improve access to effective treatment programs.
"This initiative offers a new and effective way for the federal government to help people get into recovery," said Director Walters. "We know that treatment works. But we also know that there are too many Americans who, for a variety of reasons, cannot access the treatment they need. By giving people a choice, and the direct means to help connect them with effective treatment, we will be able to more directly help drug users who have recognized their problem. This program will also help treatment providers and the overall drug treatment system by bringing increased accountability into the system."
The new initiative will work by allowing individuals to utilize federal alcohol and drug abuse dollars at treatment organizations designated by the individual states. Those individuals will be assessed and receive a voucher to pay for an appropriate level of treatment. States would be required to monitor patient outcomes and to make adjustments based on the extent to which improved client outcomes are achieved in a cost-effective manner.
"We at The Salvation Army Harbor Light Center look forward to serving more Americans with drug dependencies as a result of the President's new initiative. We believe this will encourage us to sharpen our skills and make treatment more accessible," said Major Doug Browning, Harbor Light Executive Director.
The Salvation Army is one of the largest providers of direct social services in the United States and has a reputation for efficient management of its resources. Their Harbor Light center in N.E. is a residential treatment facility with the mission to restore persons with drug and alcohol addiction to wholeness through a holistic program of physical, emotional and spiritual treatment. The center provides a full range of residential treatment services for men and women that include group and individual counseling and education in preparation for GED testing and employment. The center admits walk-ins and referrals from the criminal justice system.
The new initiative is designed to allow treatment providers, faith-based and other community organizations, employers, and schools to help drug users receive the treatment and support services that are best suited to their individual needs. Combined with prior year requests, this increase in funding will meet the President's commitment to provide an additional $1.6 billion for treatment services over five years.
