Some time has gone by, so I thought I’d update you on the progress of my project to review chemical dependency facilities of the Rochester area.
I haven’t made any.
You see, I knew I wasn’t going to be satisfied with my own impressions or the impressions of the people around me. I was looking for outcome data. I thought it would be the responsible thing to do. I knew that the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services makes programs collect information on how every client that is admitted to their facilities does, whether they complete the program, meet goals, and stay clean. I wrote to the directors of all these programs and asked for a summary of this information. Then, I thought, I would have something more to go on.
With the exception of one facility that publishes their outcome data online, Tully Hill, none of these facilities would send me this information. One of them was nice enough to invite me to their annual barbecue and send me a new client as a referral, but they wouldn’t release their outcome data. I wasn’t asking them for confidential medical information on individuals; I was asking for a summary of how effective their programs are.
My next stop was to write to the state Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, itself. Certainly, they would release the outcome data that they require these programs to report. It’s not like I’m an ordinary slob, looking for this information out of idle curiosity or with an axe to grind. I’m a licensed professional who needs to know so I can do my job. Nope they said; I would have to file a Freedom of Information Act request first.
So, that’s where we are on this project, awaiting a response for a Freedom of Information Act request.
Meanwhile, if you’ve had experience as a patient, a professional, a family member, or a visitor with any rehab or detox in the region (anywhere in the Northeast) and care to share it, please fill out the form below. Your response will be kept confidential.
Feel free to forward this announcement to anyone else you think might be interested in this project.
Keith R Wilson 