I went to a public hearing in Pleasant Hill on Tuesday, Sept. 29th regarding the opening of a 20-person residential adult non-medical alcoholism and/or drug abuse recovery or treatment facility that will by licensed by the State of California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs.
This facility was formerly a convent built for 20 persons and is located on Pleasant Hill Road in Pleasant Hill. The man who now owns, and would like to operate this building as a treatment center for women, is Dr. Michael Jordan, the Chief of Obstetrics at Kaiser in Walnut Creek.
What I heard at this meeting, which lasted almost 4 hours, tells me discrimination and stigma concerning addicts is still alive and well. Approximately 70 people attended. Three people spoke up with positive comments regarding the proposed facility. The rest of the audience was there to try and block it from opening. Many neighbors are concerned about the noise level with that many women living in one residence. At one point during Dr. Jordan’s rebuttal to those particular comments, he stated that putting in more vegetation as a sound barrier would create an extra major expense when there are already fences and vegetation in place. After the Dr. said that someone in the audience replied audibly, “Too bad!” Another neighborhood resident shared his concern about hypodermic needles being thrown in his back yard.
It was quite obvious all this is due to fear and ignorance surrounding people in recovery.
Lisa P. White from the Contra Costa Times reported, “Neighbors of the former convent at 2059 Pleasant Hill Road worry that the facility would draw criminal activity, depress property values and increase traffic and noise”.
We as a recovering community, I believe, have an obligation to help educate these individuals and show them that they have nothing to fear from us. Our community needs now, more than ever, safe and secure places for women to go to better their lives and not continue to live in the hell drug and alcohol addiction bring.
Please join us at the next public hearing for St. Theresa's Retreat on Tuesday, October 13th at 7:30pm. The location is 100 Gregory Lane Pleasant Hill, CA 94523. Your presence alone could have a distinct positive impact for Dr. Michael Jordan’s proposal.
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I will try my best to be there.
ReplyDeleteAnd, I think it would be a very good idea, IF at all possible, if as many of us who are now working for or administering existing programs, are certified counselors, or studying to be certified counselors, and/or are other kinds of professionals, successful business owners, and so forth could show up and make short statements letting the NIMBY resident opponents know that such programs result in clients going on to become valuable members of their communities...
The opposition to this project is all about discrimination, prejudice and stigma...and that'a what we, as a group, are all about changingm after all...
NIMBY doesn’t know what is going on in “their back yard”. Being part of the Recovering Community it is our responsibility to speak for those who cannot. I will be there with my boots on.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am not a certified anyone, I am not a business owner etc., I am a recovering drug addict and I am in no-way and threat to anyone. I do not understand the implications of more traffic and noise, I tried to deliver a gift yesterday to the new mother and baby and Casa Ujima and even though a release of information had been signed for me to come to the house, I was still greeted by a woman guarding the part open door. She reached out took the gift and closed the door. She was very polite, but very firm that I was getting no closer to the inside of that building than the porch. The place was as tight as Fort Knox.
ReplyDeleteWhat if it happened to be one of the neighbors (I do not know what NIMBY means) daughter or granddaughter that was in need of a treatment facility? What if they were not granted acceptance into a program because some neighbors thought them to be a danger or a nuisance. They know their loved one is not that person, how do they convince the neighborhood that their loved one just needs a chance to get well? Maybe someone in that neighborhood has T.B., AIDS, HIV and the list goes on, would they fight to have them removed. Maybe someone in that neighborhood is a Registered Sex Offender. That person certainly poses a far greater threat than 20 women trying to get well. I will look up Megans Law right now and see just how many RSO's reside in that neighborhood within a 3 mile radius of the proposed facility address.
Count me in for the meeting I would not miss this for anything. They need to understand that for those of us who have found recovery, WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT, WE ARE ABOUT IT!!!
Correction to previous POST: Should have read;
ReplyDeleteWE DON'T JUST TALK ABOUT IT, WE ARE ABOUT IT!
Sorry, this is my first post a comment :)
Laurie...
ReplyDeleteNIMBY means "Not In My Back Yard"
Gayle H.