Editorials

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Where is the sober evidence?

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 11/23/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

THE business of battling addictions is a growth industry. The Alcoholism Foundation of Manitoba is one of 13 community organizations in the province that gets public money to treat addicts to meet the government’s stated aim of reducing substance abuse in the province. It would be a stretch to concede defeat in the war, but the AFM’s results are difficult to applaud.

The foundation can show it has good results keeping addicts clean or dry for 28 days, or whatever is the length of a residential treatment program. After that it is largely up to an addict to help him or herself, through sheer will or through resources in the community, such as Alcoholics Anonymous. Addictions programs shoot for much more in theory and agencies ought to show at least some clients meet short- or long-term abstinence or measurable harm reduction, such as drinking less or resistance to the urge to shoot up.

At present, the AFM’s measure of success is essentially the goal set by a client, which means that measuring success is a moving, arbitrary target. That means there is no possible value-for-dollar analysis to show taxpayers that, indeed, substance abuse is declining or that a dent is being made in the personal toll addictions take. The AFM should have some means of tracking the number of people who are no longer hooked, or who can manage addictions to the point they are back to work, no longer committing criminal offences to support their habit or no longer an abiding threat behind the wheel of a car.

Ironically, the Manitoba Healthy Living department believes it is getting sufficient proof that public funding is being productively spent, but the AFM, which has recently moved to national accreditation (which provides some level of oversight), has recognized the shortcoming of evaluation. It is embarking on definitive measurement of outcomes. Clients will be contacted, for example, at three-, six- and nine-month intervals to self-report substance abuse or other benchmarks of harm reduction. That kind of evaluation has been a long time in coming for an agency more than 50 years old.

The AFM, like most community-based programs for addictions or mental health, sees that the demand for its services and the cries for help outstrip the ability to deliver. In the case of the foundation, an operating budget increase greater than 55 per cent since the NDP assumed power in 1999 still elicits complaints from front-line workers that they are doing more with less, that waiting lists are growing and that working conditions are dangerous. The grievance springs from the acknowledged fact that there is too much work for everyone. It is just as true, however, that simply drying addicts out and putting them back on the streets with the hope they’ll do better falls short of the mark.

There is no currency in cutting budgets of trusted community agencies upon which government relies to reach those in need. Programs that work, however, should get the investment. Yet, there is a lot of ground to travel to ensure that the money being spent makes a difference as the number of government-funded programs expands to serve people with more complex problems. The Selinger government needs to impose stricter reporting standards on all community agencies to show their programs produce results.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 23, 2009 A14

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010; View the changes. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

WFP Hockey

Download our new hockey app for the iPhone for Winnipeg Jets updates
Editor's Bulletin

Sign up for daily bulletins from editor Margo Goodhand
Winnipeg Jets

All things NHL on our Jets landing page
Twitter

Follow our reporters and our news feeds on Twitter
News Cafe

Check out the menu, read our blog posts or get info on coming events
Facebook Fanpage

Follow our Facebook Fanpage for story links, contests and special events