Outpatient treatment center hosts ribbon-cutting Posted On: Saturday, Nov. 14 2009 05:52 AM By Jade Ortego
Killeen Daily Herald

A busy and sparsely-funded local social welfare program was greeted by a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new outpatient treatment center in Killeen Friday.

The Central Texas Council of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, which has a main office in Temple, relocated from Harker Heights to Killeen in August.

The new location has cheaper rent and electricity, executive director Jean Bellinger said, allowing the organization to save money for when federal funds run out before the end of the fiscal year, which has happened the last two years.

Also important is that, with its sunny, pediatrician-style waiting room and separate offices, the new center is both a welcoming and private space.

"When they come in here, they feel like they're special and they matter. They see a nice clean place ... they feel valued. ... The stigma of substance abuse is so hard on our clients because they have a lot of shame, and they don't feel good about where they're at," Bellinger said.

CTCADA addresses several social issues – representatives provide drug education and intensive and supportive outpatient care to voluntary clients and those with court-mandated treatment (currently about 70).

There are only four counselors in the Killeen and Temple offices combined that see clients for clinical services. Clients pay for themselves or use Medicaid, but CTCADA is not paid for case management.

CTCADA runs educational programs in schools in seven counties to teach children about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse and cigarette smoking.

"We hope to keep kids from using and getting involved in drugs early on. We've found chances are if kids don't use drugs by the time they're 18 years old, there's a good chance they won't," Bellinger said.

CTCADA also includes a pregnancy prevention and intervention program that educates and supports pregnant women and those with infants up to 18 months old.

The programs teach parents to avoid substances while pregnant, to play safely with infants and to practice anger management.

Many women and some men who participate in parenting classes are required by Child Protective Services.

PPI also includes educational programs for high school students.

"There's a great need in Bell County and Coryell County for this service; we have moms that do test positive at the time of birth," PPI Coordinator Tammy Day said.

PPI works with the Greater Killeen Free Clinic, Bell County Indigent Health Care and entities in Waco to provide sexual health services for its clients.

The Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce presented CTCADA with a plaque welcoming them. Mi-Ok Doranski, a Chamber ambassador, said she was glad to have them in Killeen.

"This is a good program, especially for this town. There are a lot of teenagers, abused kids. Sometimes we can't reach all the kids," Doranski said.

Contact Jade Ortego at jortego@kdhnews.com or (254501-7553.