By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
Methamphetamine accounted for 5 percent of admissions in 2003 and 9 to 10 percent today, according to Stephen Lehman, program supervisor of Woodlands Addiction Center in Vandalia.
Lehman has been with Cass County Community Mental Health for almost 20 years.
The Cassopolis-based agency is affiliated with Allegan County CMH Services, Kalamazoo CMH Services and CMH Services of St. Joseph County.
He attended a conference recently hosted by Kalamazoo and heard Dr. Richard Rosson, a leading national expert who is an associate professor at UCLA.
Rosson talked about partnering. "We were fortunate enough to receive a (two-year, $92,000) grant from (five-county) Lakeshore Coordinating Council to try to fund a collaborative task force. That's what this project is about. The millage and the task force are a jump start on the problem" which moved east from the West Coast.
Rosson "also talked about the vast majority of the ingredients for making methamphetamine is coming in from Canada and Mexico and other areas. Much of that funds super labs that still exist out west, but he said the other thing they're experiencing is using anhydrous isn't the only method to make methamphetamine. One of the newest they're finding, especially in western states, is urine labs. Methamphetamine-dependent people will recycle their urine and extract needed products."
Lehman said Rosson discussed providing services in prison.
Existing models have been around in the treatment community and are effective, according to Lehman. They are based on certain strategies and incorporate 12-step programs such as Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous, coupled with drug testing to "keep them honest."
Lehman commented, "One of the things that the Family Treatment Court does very well is partnering with all of these different people in Cass County to bring all these resources to bear."
Rosson's presentations also dwell on the physiology of brain chemistry.
Three Cass County commissioners attended Wednesday's kickoff of the Meth Task Force - John Cureton of Dowagiac, Terri Kitchen of Silver Creek Township and David Taylor of Edwardsburg.