For The Bohol Tribune
In This Our Journey
NESTOR MANIEBO PESTELOS
In meetings I had this week with several key
informants (a Chief of Police and her Deputy ; a special assistant to the
Mayor; a Vice Mayor; a housewife which our family helped obtain a college
degree; a retired Dean; a psychology graduate looking for a better job; some faculty members and researchers from two
academic institutions; an employee of a commercial bank; the employer whose
household help was raped by her own son; a municipal officer who suspects a
relative is a drug abuser; a former drug abuser; ), I have come to the
conclusion that what is urgently needed at this stage in Bohol is a network of
what the UN calls as Outreach and Drop-In Centers for Drug Dependents or ODICs.
All those I talked with agreed that such a vital
facility can provide early detection, referral and initial treatment to drug abuse
victims and could have prevented the occurrence of crimes such as those that
have become regular news in the media which becloud the positive image that we
have been trying to project to tourists and the world. More importantly, we risk losing our self-esteem
and cultural pride if we cannot find an effective strategy to provide prompt
interventions to drug abuse victims to complement efforts by the Government and
the police to stop the distribution and use of illegal drugs in the province.
In a previous column, published the week of 26 April
to 02 May, I devoted more than ten paragraphs describing this facility as part
of a proposal submitted to potential donors. As cited in that column, the services made
available through the ODICs are as follows: consultation, counselling and evaluation; screening and assessment; case
management; and enhancing community
awareness about drug addiction.
Allow me to add more information on this facility
that we recommend to be built while waiting for the drug rehabilitation center
cum mental health facility which may take three years or more to be established.
I will share with you some interesting
facts I have come to know about ODICs in the hope that you will be able to be
part of this emerging advocacy to build ODICs in strategic areas in our
province.
To convince us about the importance of each ODIC,
let me list below the specific tasks and services of each ODIC as cited by the
Drug Advisory Program (DAP) implemented by the Colombo Plan Secretariat based
Sri Lanka:
To provide early intervention services
and counseling to recovering drug addicts to prevent relapse;
b.
To provide motivation and counseling to the addicted persons, and
co-dependents/family members to seek treatment;
c.
To involve the community and significant others to help the drug addicts
and their families in their recovery journeys;
d.
To reach out and provide basic information, knowledge and literature to
addicted persons who do not want to appear in the hospitals or treatment centers;
e.
To provide home-based treatment for those in remote areas, particularly
women where treatment facilities are not available;
f.
To provide a place and encourage the meetings of the support groups for
recovering persons and co-dependents;
g.
To facilitate vocational training, job placements, develop
self-employment and income generating activities for recovering persons; and
h.
To help recovering persons to join mainstream society as productive
citizens and continue their recovery journey successfully.
It will come as a surprise to many that the CPDAP
has supported the establishment of ODICs in the Philippines along with those in
other countries during the past eight years. These organizations are the
following:
1. Open Hand, Maldives
2. Society for Women Against Drugs,
Maldives
3. The Welfare Association for the
Development of Afghanistan, Afghanistan
4. Ashokti Punorbashon Nibash,
Bangladesh
5. Dhaka Ahsania Mission, Bangladesh
6. Society for Promotion of Youth and
Masses – Delhi, India
7. Society for Promotion of Youth and Masses
– Kashmir, India
8. Yayasan Kelompok Peduli
Penyalahgunaan Narkoba – Makassar, Indonesia
9. Yayasan Pontianak Plus – Pontianak,
Indonesia
10. Department Of Health Region XI –
Davao, Philippines
11. Pattani Drug Treatment Centre,
Thailand
12. Youth Development Fund – Thimphu,
Bhutan
13. Youth Development Fund – Bumthang,
Bhutan
The activities carried out by these centers
include outreach visits; early intervention strategies such as pre-treatment
counseling, home-based detoxification; short-term outpatient or home-based treatment;
referrals to hospitals or drug treatment centres; organization and conduct of education
and training programs by professionals on drug awareness, training of outreach
support staff and volunteers, and skills training; and encouraging family members
to come to the centers for counseling.
The CPDAP notes:
“Though there are some shortcomings in some
of the established ODICs during the early stages of operation, these centres
have successfully assisted many recovering persons and their families. With
regular training, guidance and close monitoring, the CPDAP aims to reinforce
the activities of the ODICs, sustain and continue the services effectively.”
As for the ODIC in Davao City,
the CPDAP website says: “The
drug awareness, treatment and rehabilitation in the Davao region made a
difference in the lives of drug users with the assistance of the Colombo Plan,”
quoting the program manager himself.
The same website notes: “In July 2012,
The Central Health Development Region XI-Davao (CHDXI) which is covering four
provinces and the Davao City received the Colombo Plan support to improve their
existing Outreach and Drop-in Centre program through funding from INL, US
Department of State.
It further says: “In the Philippines,
the government has an ongoing battle against drug abuse and trafficking for in
2001 to 6.7 million in 2005 as per a survey conducted by the Dangerous Drugs
Board (DDB).
“Under the Law, Department of Health is
the lead agency in the program of treatment and rehabilitation for drug
dependents...As the government organization, CHDXI has become a special
hospital for the families and serve as interlink between the Department of
Health and the Communities. CHDXI has developed a Multi-Sectoral Team Approach
(MSTA) to help address the drug menace in Davao Region. MSTA is composed of the
National Government Agencies, Community Social and Health Workers from the
Local Government Units, and Non-Governmental Organizations.”
The regional health agency implements
the ODIC with the “community-based approach with community services like family
counseling, home visit, employment and livelihood assistance project, spiritual
mentoring, and referral. The specialized services like assessment,
psychotherapy, drug testing, individual and group counseling are provided by
the CHDXI that geared towards smooth reintegration of Substance Use Disorders
(SUDs) to their families, and prevent the recurrence of relapse.”
The Colombo Plan website
further notes:
“The ODIC in Davao has also coordinated
and collaborated with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to sustain and
improve the delivery of services. It worked towards teaching and instructing
drug users in prevention or management of relapse and developing new social
networks and peer-group programs.
“The Colombo Plan supported ODIC has
helped in reducing the stigma and instilling confidence and support among the
SUDs. It also inculcated the refusal skills among the youth to stay away from
peer pressure and developed strong will power to resist temptations. The
clients were given spiritual and emotional support. Early detection of using
drugs has prevented from recurrence of relapse. ..”
It looks like Davao is also the model for ODICs with government
as the lead agency as it is for drug rehabilitation centers cum mental health
facility run as private business.
In our column of 23 April, we gave basic information as to the
infrastructure requirements, staffing, operational details and costs of operating
the facility for at least a year. The total costs of infrastructure, staffing
and operations for a year will cost PHP 830, 425.00. This can be reduced to PHP
524, 425.00 if there is an old building or office that can be utilized.
We at our NGO, Bohol Local Development Foundation (BLDF),
believe that a parish, a faith-based organization or a Local Government Unit
can easily raise this amount if they will put their heart and soul into it.
This drop-in center is what we urgently need at the moment to extend
much-needed services to hundreds of families who are burdened by the drug
menace in our midst and regain whatever we have lost during the past few months
in terms of prestige and well-being.
Those who want to support this advocacy for having a network of
Outreach and Drop-In Centers as an initiative to address the drug menace in our
midst, email us at npestelos@gmail.com; or send us text at 09173041450. Visit our website www.bohollocaldev.org.
We have scheduled another consultation meeting for all those
interested to support this advocacy
On: Wednesday, 10
June 2015
starting at : 9.00
a.m.
at Crescencia, 6 to
7 Food Station, Poblacion, Baclayon
#Boholdrop-incenters.
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