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.
NMP/05June2015/6.13p.m.
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