For The Bohol Tribune
In This Our Journey
NESTOR MANIEBO PESTELOS
In the draft
document we submitted on behalf of our NGO early this week to the prospective
partners (Diocese of Tagbilaran, Holy Name University, Kasing Sining, and the
Provincial Government of Bohol) of the proposed New Day Resource Center (NDRC) Bohol
patterned after a similar institution in Davao City, we recommended several key features:
On Financial Sustainability
NDRC Davao, a noted rehabilitation
and psychological services facility which is part of an international network
of similar institutions, will manage NDRC Bohol as a business enterprise to
ensure long-term sustainability. This feature will also discourage political
interference in the admission of clients, who will be charged fees as is the
practice in Davao City.
As principal
investor and key management player, NDRC Davao will solicit investments from
individuals and private sector or commercial entities. These investors will be represented
in the Board of Directors or the Management Committee selected on the basis of
specific criteria, which will take into account
the objective to ensure broad-based participation in policymaking and
inclusion of social responsibility in the pursuit of financial viability.
Its use of land and
other resources made available through donations from other stakeholders will
be subject to terms and conditions that will provide opportunities to pay for
the expenses of clients from indigent families.
The other partners
will raise funds or engage in livelihood or social enterprises to be able to
refer and support clients from disadvantaged households and remote communities.
The overall objective is to identify and remove barriers to low-cost, effective
and evidence-based treatment services in ways that also ensure financial
viability in the provision of treatment services.
The Bohol Local
Development Foundation, Inc. (BLDF) will coordinate efforts on behalf of the
Diocese of Tagbilaran to develop capabilities of local NGOs and academic
institutions, especially those with Psychology and health-related courses, to
handle a whole range of pre-treatment activities, including increasing public awareness on drug addiction
and its negative impact on the family and the community.
On Increasing Access to Quality Services by Clients from
Indigent Families
While NDRC Bohol
will build two vital facilities, a drug rehabilitation center cum mental health
facility, it is highly recommended that a network of Outreach and Drop-In
Centers (ODICs) be established to provide the missing link between the
community and the service providers.
Such a community-based facility has been pioneered starting in 2005 by
the Colombo Plan for Economic and Social Development in Asia and the Pacific
under its Drug Advisory Program (DAP).
Under the proposed
NDRC Bohol, the ODICs will be known as the New Day Drop-In Centers (NDDCs) to
be established initially in Barangay Chapels or Parishes and later in Barangay
Health Centers, Hospitals or Clinics, government or private. Through NDRC
Davao, expertise will be sourced from the DAP to help in establishing the
NDDCs.
These local NDDCs
will fill an urgent need for a community-based facility with trained and
committed staff to serve as initial contact with local communities and
households. These community-based facilities will serve in effect as satellite
centers responsible for the following: initial consultation and evaluation of
potential clients; screening and assessment; case management; and equally
important, a focal point for promoting and sustaining awareness about drug
addiction and mental health among target sectors, such as the youth in both
urban and rural areas.
We have recommended that at least a paid
staff at each Drop-In Center be trained accountable to a senior officer, e.g.
the Parish Priest or the head of the host government agency or NGO for the
facility.
Trained volunteers
and facilitators will be assigned to the Drop-in Centers to cope with the
expected number of potential NDRC Bohol clients in a given area.
Through NDRC Davao,
expertise from the Colombo Plan, World Health Organization and the UN Office
for Drugs and Crimes can be accessed in making these community-based centers
operational. During the initial year, the Diocese of Tagbilaran can take the
lead in setting up such centers in close partnership with the local community
and the LGUs as mobilized by the Provincial Government of Bohol and the City
Government of Tagbilaran.
It is proposed that
at this contact point between NDRC Bohol and the community, the paid staff
should be either a Psychology graduate or a Social Worker. It will be useful to
take note what the Colombo Plan Secretariat says in its website :
“There is a definite
need of a service model that can comprehensively implement outreach activities
for those known as the hidden population, who have difficulty accessing correct
information regarding addiction treatment as well as intervention. With
expected outcomes, those who can be reached can be motivated to access other
services that may be suitable for them.”
Equally important is
the following observation which validates the need for professional services be
made available to as close to the target families and communities as possible:
“Drug addiction is
not the only issue for affected individuals; there will be underlying issues
which lead them to addiction and other diseases. Therefore, due to such
concerns, there is an urgent need for services and treatment centres which will
be able to handle such cases comprehensively by managing them appropriately and
providing physical and psychological treatment, along with equipping
individuals with skills to overcome social problem, which will help them
achieve their recovery.”
Helping establish the community-based Drop-In
Centers will be a vital undertaking to pursue for the Diocese of Tagbilaran,
the Provincial Government of Bohol and its component municipal and barangay
LGUs, the Tagbilaran LGU, academic institutions and the NGOs in their common
efforts to find a comprehensive strategy to address social problems brought
about by drug addiction and alcoholism mostly among its young population.
In my meeting with Fr. Fernando Po, who has
been involved with housing for earthquake victims in several municipalities, as
well as otherinitiatives for the elderly, women and children in Panglao, he and
the volunteers with him have launched a movement aimed at creating awareness
about drug addiction among the youth of Tagbilaran City. He says his group will
support the current campaign to build NDRC Bohol to address a long-felt need in
the city and the province.
The proposal that we submitted to key
partners for their consideration include several features not found in the
current program of NDRC Davao which can be an enhancement of the drug treatment
and mental health therapy model.
To address the need for a systematic program
to ensure full integration of the healed drug dependents to the community and
the family, we have recommended the creation or development of a New Day
Village to consist of the following innovative features:
1) A Livelihood Center (to be developed
as the New Day Community
College in the future) and an organic
farm to engage NDRC clients in
productive activities as part of their therapy or as half-way resource
center prior to their full integration to their communities and families
to
equip them with employable or
entrepreneurship skills.
2) The
New Day Community Theatre (NDCT) to complement on-site
presentations by Kasing Sining with a regular venue for
cultural shows , workshops,
interactive fora and other advocacy
presentations. At various stages of
the healing process, NDCT will also
feature presentations of clients
whenever it is appropriate or feasible to
do so.
NDCT will offer regular shows
designed to raise awareness about issues
relevant to advocacy themes and
treatment and post-treatment issues
and help raise awareness about the
respective roles of stakeholders in
the healing process.
3)
The New Day Volunteers Resource Center (NDVRC)
The Project will implement a systematic
recruitment and deployment of
volunteers to serve in NDRC Bohol and the
various NDDCs that will be
organized at local level.
Universities
and Colleges in Bohol will be encouraged to establish a
Volunteers Resource Center to ensure a
common pool of information
officers with skills to recruit and train
youth volunteers.
An
Inter-Faith Youth Council will be organized to support the NDVRC.
Note: The
New Day Village and its components will be created on a 1.2-ha. property in
Manggool, San Isidro, Baclayon, the use of which will be made available through
our NGO, the Bohol Local Development Foundation (BLDF).
May we all be guided by the Divine Spirit in
finding a way out of the darkness to a much-deserved New Day in Bohol, our
beloved province. #Newdaybohol
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