Phoenix House Honors Men and Women in Recovery for Completing Treatment Program
LOS ANGELES, CA, September 30, 2004—For the 19 men and women in recovery who graduated, and the additional 31 who received certificates of completion from Phoenix House last Saturday, the event represented a personal achievement after facing prison and a history of substance abuse. For Phoenix Houses of California, it was not only an accomplishment but many of the graduates represented the success of Proposition 36 which gives a choice to non-violent adult offenders who use or possess illegal drugs to receive drug treatment in the community rather than incarceration.
“Many here today wouldn’t have the opportunity to receive treatment if it wasn’t for Prop 36,” said Richard Mazzochi, director of adult and aftercare services for Phoenix Houses of California. “The alternative would have been prison, doing time then getting out with a likelihood of re-offending. Now they have the tools to become productive, taxpaying citizens and lead crime free lives.”
A recent study released by UCLA, evaluating the success of Proposition 36 which was passed two years ago, noted that around 70 percent of the 36,000 who agreed to treatment showed up for the program despite often having drug-use histories stretching back 10 years. Statewide, about half the participants entered drug treatment for the first time. The study offers proof that treatment rather than jail has a positive impact.
One graduate as a result of Proposition 36 said she is one of the people who might not have sought treatment on her own. After being arrested for possession of methamphetamine, she opted for drug treatment. “I had no idea that treatment was out there for me,” she said. “Being given the opportunity to go into treatment has turned my life around.”
More than 200 people attended the graduation and completion ceremony held at the West Angeles Church in Los Angeles on September 25 to honor their loved ones for completing up to six months of residential substance abuse treatment and, for some, an additional nine months of aftercare at the Phoenix House Los Angeles Center located in Venice, California.
The event started with a procession of graduates and welcoming remarks from Frank Siaca, program director of Phoenix House Los Angeles Center. Diane Boudreaux, parole agent, State of California, Department of Corrections, addressed the group as the keynote speaker. Each participant walked across the stage and received a certificate of graduation and/or completion in acknowledgement of their success. Some took the opportunity to address the audience expressing their gratitude while recounting their struggles to remain drug-free and their plans for the future.
Phoenix House Los Angeles Center provides long-term residential and outpatient treatment to men and women in a unique model that combines substance abuse treatment with vocational training, employment, and family reunification. Phoenix Houses of California is one of the largest providers of substance abuse treatment services in Southern California, offering treatment to over 2,200 individuals each day through 24 different programs. The not-for-profit organization has touched the lives of adolescents, adults, and their families for 25 years, helping them overcome the problems associated with substance abuse and empowering them with the skills to lead healthy, productive and rewarding lives.
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Linda O’Hanlon
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