The Allen American (Allen, Tex.), Ed. 1 Thursday, June 25, 1987 Page: 4 of 16
sixteen pages : ill. ; page 24 x 15 in. Scanned from physical pages.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
N
Page 4—ALLEN EXTRA—Thursday, June 25, 1987
County programs to fight drug, alcohol abuse
0
S
Q
6
0\$
b
O
0
ISCLOSIN
SPRING CREEK
FM2514
PARKER
ITS
PLANO
75
(
S
4
A
1
V
y
/
ka
2m
> '
"U
)
U
O
S
23
O
S
KM
7
6
I
• 111 SPRING CREEK PARKWAY
1
EVERY
/
/VA
•eX
By establishing three new prog-
rams, county officials have begun an
extensive fight against the growing
• LIGHT FIXTURES
• SHELVING
• TOOL BOXES
• POWER PAINTERS
• BATH VANITIES
• CEILING FANS
• LAWN MOWERS
• OUTDOOR SHEDS
• AND MANY MORE!
4G
1 $
• PANELING
• PAINT
• FURNITURE
• FIRESCREENS
• POWER TOOLS
• KITCHEN
CABINETS
• SPRING
TRIMMERS
• FLOOR TILE
_18th
14th
Routon said much of the credit
for the award for the substance
abuse program goes to four staff
members who worked for a month
on the proposal before submitting it
to the state agency.
details of a new drug prevention
program from officials of the Collin
County Extension Service. The
program, to be unveiled in middle
schools across the county as part of
their curriculum this fall, emphas-
izes improving self-esteem to
discourage drug abuse.
Randy Routon, Collin County
Mental Health and Mental Retarda-
tion Center director, said he is
pleased his department was
awarded funding for the substance
abuse program. Of the $218,077
needed to start the program, 95
percent was provided by the Texas
Commission on Alcohol and Drug
Abuse, with the remainder coming
from the center.
Although the Austin-based Texas
$207,173 in federal funds to start a
substance abuse program. The
program is expected to start in
August or September.
Also, the Collin County Commis-
sioners Court recently announced it
established a task force on
substance abuse. Commissioners
are expected by June 30 to select 10
to 12 county residents to serve on
the task force.
Also, commissioners heard
f
F
problems of drug and alcohol abuse
in Collin County.
Officials with the Collin County
Mental Health and Mental Retarda-
tion Center announced recently
their department has received
By MARC McDONALD
Staff Writer
SAVINGS IN
ALL DEPARTMENTS!
i
rn
I 1
7
They are: Resource Develop-
ment Consultant John McKinney, (9
Drug and Alcohol Counselor Marita
Delaney, Mental Health Director
Garry Clawson and Casemanage-
ment Director Ellen Inman.
Routon said he hopes the grant
will allow his center “breathing
time” to locate alternate sources of
funding for the program. The grant
will keep the program operating for
12 to 14-months. Routon does not
rule out the possibility of another
grant in the future from the Texas ©
Commission on Alcohol and Drug
Abuse.
Swimming Pool • SPA • Laundry Facilities • And Much More
BETHANY PARK APARTMENTS
550 BETHANY DR. 510 • ALLEN, TX
727-4822
PIANO, TEXAS 75074
(214) 517-5480 .
The Commissioners Court heard
details of a new school drug preven-
tion program, organized by the
Collin County Extension office. The
self-esteem-promoting program, —
called “High on Life,” is expected to V
be introduced into the curriculum of
middle schools.
Commission on Alcohol and Drug
Abuse is a state agency, the funds
originated at the federal level, he
said.
The mental health-mental retar-
dation center is a private nonprofit
organization whose board members
are appointed by the Commission-
ers Court. As executive director,
Routon receives $45,000 annually.
Routon said the new program,
called “Treatment and Recovery for
Substance Abusers,” will fill a vital
need in the county.
“In the past we have had to
include substance abuse services in
our already overcrowded mental
health programs,” he said. “We
simply have not been able to serve
all of those in need.
“Our clinics and counselors have
been beyond capacity in terms of
caseloads and still had to have wait-
ing lists,” Routon said. “Now we
will be able to hire staff specifically
for substance abuse services.”
The center will use the money to
hire two substance abuse counse-
lors, who will provide intensive,
out-patient counseling.
“We will be looking for a combi-
nation of experience and education
for these two positions,” Routon
said. “Recovering abusers often
have the. best, most straightforward
way of communicating, whereas
professionally trained and certified
staff should know a variety of
methods of effective treatment.”
A case manager also will be hired
to provide follow-up services for
clients who are the most “at risk” of
failure, Routon said.
Services are set to start in
August or September, Routon said.
Services will be offered out of both
the Plano office, at 2600 Ave. K,
and the McKinney office, at 708 S.
College. An exact start-up date has
not been set because officials are
still ironing out the fine details of the
program, Routon said.
People interested in the program
can call either the Plano clinic at
422-5939 or the McKinney clinic at
542-0394 and request to be placed
on the waiting list for the program.
People interested in applying for
a staff position or wishing to be a
volunteer for the program may call
either office and leave a message
for Garry Clawson.
Services will be geared to serve
7
I
r
people over 17 years of age, whose
chemical abuse is severely impair-
ing their ability to function in the
community and are currently “at
risk” for hospitalization, Routon
said. He said his department is O
preparing to admit up to 290 clients
into the program during the next 12
to 14 months.
The program will focus on the
abuse of substances such as alcohol,
cocaine, inhalants, amphetamines
and prescribed tranquilizers.
Routon said he expects the majority
of cases to involve alcohol abuse.
Services to be provided include
short-term individual therapy, (
group and family therapy, educa-
tional sessions, peer support group
orientation, referral services and
psychiatric consultation when
appropriate.
Routon said the award comes at a
crucial time, when requests for help
from substance abusers has dramat-
ically increased. Until now, the
center referred substance abusers
to in-patient substance abuse recov- 0
ery units at the Vernon Center or —
Witchita Falls State Hospital.
“Although our primary mission
and funding from both the state and
Collin County are to provide mental
health and mental retardation
services, the number of requests
for substance abuse counseling has
become overwhelming,” Routon
said. “Many people put on probation
are court-ordered to counseling and e
we just did not have the manpower “
to provide those services.”
5 time 1o5shif intothat
" Summer Lifestyle
Rent Our Light and Airy 2 Bedrooms
Ymca
Summer Programs
Summer Day Camp
Home Pool Swim Lessons
Call 727-2367
e
h\
#2“e2
$#ad"
_ I
-gueywaeE
QuANTTTIES CASTE
-) 1
ri
I I
I I
i / “u
LM
$-auak
2 g,
2
—a,=0,
——e.j
N07NNNG
\ HELP
Bek:
7
—
f xterior fuz‘
ONE COAT
4
o1W
uu"ae4
- . K
n / B 1
4 L
11 1//7, V
Jill/
hi,nA
dud J
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Jorgensen, Karen M. The Allen American (Allen, Tex.), Ed. 1 Thursday, June 25, 1987, newspaper, June 25, 1987; Allen, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1523691/m1/4/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Allen Public Library.