Introduction

Under the auspices of the Ventura County Behavioral Health Department, Alcohol and Drug Programs is the principal division responsible for the planning, coordination, and delivery of program services. A continuum of care encompassing prevention, intervention and treatment services comprises alcohol and other drug services throughout our community. Additionally, ADP ensures that state, federal and local funding is disbursed for program services throughout Ventura County.

To ensure the integrity of its system of care, ADP currently incorporates a model of service delivery encompassing both public and private sector service providers. Along side eight county operated centers, ADP contracts with more than 20 private providers to deliver services spanning a continuum of care encompassing prevention, treatment and intervention services. The success of its delivery model hinges on the active coordination, collaboration and planning of services undertaken by the Department over the course of many years.

Organizational Structure

Alcohol and Drug Programs encompasses two budget units (5150, ADP and 5160, Drinking Driver Programs (DDP). Under the direction of its Medical Director and Program Administrator, both divisions deliver services to more than 6,000 persons annually. Organizational structure encompasses four divisions: treatment and recovery services, prevention programs, drinking driver programs and administration support services. Under a broad continuum of care, services are provided through 8 regionally based county operated centers and a network of 20 community based contract service providers.

In addition, a citizen appointed Alcohol and Drug Advisory Board is comprised of individuals appointed from each of the 5 County Board of Supervisor districts. Members serve in an advisory capacity to BHDADP for 2 year terms and are involved in the planning, development and implementation of services in Ventura County.

A designated client advocate addresses grievances/concerns from clients working closely with those concerned toward satisfactory resolution.

County Operated Outpatient Treatment Centers

Three county-operated treatment centers provide a wide range of non-residential counseling services for both adolescents (12 years of age to 18) and adults. Services include screening and assessments, treatment planning, individual and group counseling, intensive outpatient programs, information and referral. In addition to treating self-referred clients, each Center provides services for persons referred by the criminal justice system. All services are available to persons requiring services in Spanish, as well as, hearing impaired.

Currently services are provided in Simi Valley, Ventura (downtown) and South Oxnard.

Contract Service Providers

More than 5 contract providers deliver treatment and intervention services on an outpatient basis. Services provided include methadone maintenance for opiate dependence, to court mandated intervention services for drug offenders under the sanctions of California Penal Code, Section 1000.

Aegis Medical Systems, narcotic treatment program provides outpatient methadone maintenance for opiate dependence. Aegis provides services at 4 regional locations. South Oxnard, North Oxnard, Simi Valley, and Santa Paula.

Western Pacific Medical Corporation, narcotic treatment program provides outpatient methadone maintenance for opiate dependence. Western Pacific provides services in Ventura.

Santa Clara Valley Services United (SCVSU), provides outpatient treatment for alcohol and drug dependent persons and their families. SCVSU is located in Santa Paula.

Alternative Actions and the Intervention Institute provide Penal Code 1000 Drug Diversion Program services. Drug Diversion services are provided in a structured 16 hour education counseling program to persons arrested for possession of controlled substances. Referrals are received from either the Courts directly and/or Probation Agency. Alternative Actions is located in North Oxnard. While Intervention Institute is located in Thousand Oaks. Annually, more than 500 offenders are provided services under this intervention modality.

Residential Services

Residential Treatment and Recovery services are provided by 6 service providers under contact and represent over 30,000 bed days annually for men, women, adolescents (female) and women with children. Services provided are range from social detoxification services to residential treatment and recovery for women with small children (prenatal services), to young female adolescents.

Khepera House, provides residential recovery home services for men recovering from alcohol and other drug abuse. Recovery services help restore, establish and maintain optimum levels of social vocational and physical functioning to clients experiencing significant problems related to substance abuse by means of long-term recovery services in a residential setting. In addition, social model detoxification services are provided on a twenty-four hour basis. Each client is provided with monitoring, education on alcohol and drug abuse, including AIDS. Information on community resources are also provided, as is assistance in working with each client toward developing a personal recovery plan.

Miracle House, provides highly structured 12 step program treatment and recovery services following a 30 day program format. Licensed professional staff include psychiatrist, medical director, MFCC and LCSW. Clinical staff assist with treatment planning, including limited dual diagnosis services. Services are structured through the use of individual and group counseling and therapy, workshops for living skills, recreation, exercise, multi-family group and aftercare.

Rainbow Recovery Home, provides services at three locations: Oxnard, Simi Valley and Fillmore. Rainbow Recovery is a social model residential treatment facility for adult women (ages 18-62). Program components include individual counseling, group therapy, chemical dependency education personal recovery planning, planned recreation, career counseling, aftercare, referral and 12 step meetings. Rainbow Recovery at Fillmore provides residential treatment and recovery services for female adolescents.

Santa Clara Valley Services United (SCVSU), is a residential recovery provider offering stays up to 6 months in duration. Recovery services are predicated on a 12 Step focus. It is residential and supportive peer treatment-oriented, emphasizing community services and individual and group responsibility. Individual and group counseling, as well as, rehabilitation services are included. Attendance in 12 Step meetings are mandatory.

Casa Latina, a residential recovery home for pregnant and parenting women and their children. Services include: assessment, individual and group counseling, 12 Step participation, and parenting education. Program services are provided in Spanish. Treatment services are three to six months in duration.

Prototypes Women’s Center, provides residential treatment services for pregnant and parenting woman and their children. Individual and group counseling, chemical dependency education, vocational training, parenting education and 12 Step participation comprise program services. Length of stay is three to six months.

Prevention Program Services

The prevention division within ADP has evolved over the course of the last ten years to incorporate radical changes in its approach to delivering the message of prevention surrounding alcohol and drug use. Funds for prevention programs in Ventura County are allocated through the federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant (SAPT).

In 1996, ADP moved to emphasize the delivery of its prevention services through the highly effective policy based-environmental focused strategy. By assuming a fundamental change in the delivery of its prevention services, ADP focused on the problem that alcohol and other drugs cause in communities rather than on individual behavior. Policy based-environmental strategies seek to target the places, settings and occasions in which persons use alcohol and other drugs. Through changes in policy or ordinances, building and zoning codes, communities can be successful in ameliorating community problems often associated with alcohol and other drugs.

Drinking Driver Programs

Formally known as the Alcohol Information School (AIS), the Drinking Driver Program changed its operating name and identity to the Ventura County Drinking Driver Program (DDP) in early 1990. VCDDP assumed its role in the over-all alcohol and drug treatment and recovery system as a significant point of prevention, intervention and treatment for persons arrested for driving under the influence (DUI).

For the past three years, VCDDP has provided First and Multiple Offender Program services to more than 3,000 persons annually. Programs costs are offset 100% by client fees. Services are currently provided under VCDDP at four separate locations within Ventura County. Offices are located in Ventura, South Oxnard, Newbury Park and Simi Valley. Spanish language services are available each center, including services for the hearing impaired.

Program services are:

First Offender Program
Three month program for persons convicted of a first DUI violation and includes: twelve hours of alcohol and drug education sessions, eighteen hours of small group counseling sessions, and three individual face to face interviews.

Multiple Offender Program
Eighteen Month program for persons convicted of a second or subsequent DUI violation and includes: twelve hours of alcohol and drug education sessions, fifty-two hours of small group counseling sessions, thirteen hours of individual counseling and six hours of community re-entry sessions.

Special Projects

Proposition 36
On November 7, 2000, California voters passed Proposition 36, the Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act of 2000 (Act). The Act makes substantial changes to both the criminal justice system and the substance abuse treatment service system. The Act mandates that any person convicted of a nonviolent drug possession offense, and any parolee who is determined by the Parole Authority to have committed a nonviolent drug possession offense, or violated any other drug-related condition of parole, will be diverted from incarceration into licensed or certified community-based drug treatment programs.

In a historic act, citizens across this State enacted a bold initiative that affirms the time tested finding that treatment works. With the enactment of Proposition 36, Ventura County, as the rest of the State will have the opportunity to provide life-changing treatment services that lead to increased public health and safety for all.

The success of the initiative will hinge on how effectively treatment services can be implemented to meet anticipated demands and more importantly, how can the affected elements of our criminal justice system, treatment professionals community, administrators and community organizations will work together. Among the challenges that the Behavioral Health Department Alcohol and Drug Programs will face is ensuring that sufficient availability of treatment services are available to an anticipated offender population numbering 3,500 persons.

Alcohol and Drug Programs will draw on its long history and experience of working effectively with populations mandated into treatment. ADP will Utilize a service delivery model encompassing both public and private sector treatment resources, a comprehensive continuum of treatment services will be provided. The continuum of care will reflect both time tested treatment strategies, as well as, innovative treatment paradigms. Augmentation of existing resources will be required, as will newly identified service providers under this initiative.

Transitional Youth Program Expansion
In FY 1999/2000, the Behavioral Health Department initiated a needs analysis of mental health and substance abuse services to youth between the ages of 18 to 21, commonly referred to as transitional youth. The Department concluded that youth between the ages 18 to 21 comprised about 15% of the total population in Ventura County and that approximately 10% or about 5,000 youth would require varying levels of mental health and/or substance abuse services. Further review of this population estimates that between 300 to 400 youth received varying levels of mental health and/or substance abuse treatment services in county operated centers. In its assessment of the population, the Department made the following conclusions: services for youth between 12 to 21 were generally lacking; this age group represented an under-served population; and current resources were inadequate to provide treatment services for present level of need.

In response to this need, the Behavioral Health Department initiated a Request for Proposal (RFP) process. Service providers within the surrounding in the Counties of Kern, Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara were notified regarding the request for proposals. Under the proposed RFP, desired services under the Transitional Youth Program would require a multi-faceted approach in its design of services to address the mental health and substance abuse disorders youth may be experiencing.

The RFP also will require that services will be specialized and delivered within three regional centers located in Thousand Oaks, Ventura and Oxnard. Most importantly, required treatment services will be founded on three important principles.

Principle 1: Comprehensive services will be identified and developed to draw necessary resources and types of help needed to meet the needs of each client.

Principle 2: Continuity of care will be designed to deliver program services sufficiently to meet the need of clients without disruption, and over a sustained period of time as defined by client need.

Principle 3: Coordination program services will require that services are provided in a systematic and collaborative manner leading to successful treatment outcomes.

CalWorks
Beginning in January 1998, CalWorks was implemented state-wide as part of the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) welfare reform program. Under the current CalWorks program, Counties have been given latitude to design program services specific to local need. A critical component of this program was the recognition that a significant number of program recipients experienced substance abuse and/or mental health problems that contributed to an inability to participate in the workforce. In an effort to meet these needs, Counties were provided with a specified allocation for the provision of substance abuse and mental health supportive services. Through this funding assistance was provided to CalWork recipients with necessary resources to assist them in overcoming barriers keeping them from being job ready and or gainfully employed.

Under the direction of the Behavioral Health Department, 7 Senior Psychiatric Social Workers were hired. Under the local design for service delivery, the 7 workers were stationed at each of the 7 Job and Career Centers throughout the County. In doing so, each Center or JCC could provide a "one-stop," service delivery environment since each Center is staffed with multidisciplinary partners. An important function of the PSW is to provide assessment and referral for each person identified as needing supportive services.