DE PAUL MARKS 25 YEARS OF TREATING THE MOST SEVERELY ADDICTED

Portland, Ore. (March 21, 2003) — De Paul Treatment Centers is marking its 25th year of providing chemical dependency treatment services to some of Oregon’s most severely affected low-income adults and youth. Over 20,000 people have been served by the agency since its incorporation as an independent non-profit in 1978.

"It is a sad irony that De Paul is celebrating 25 years of service even as drug and alcohol treatment for thousands of Oregonians is in jeopardy," said Sheila North, De Paul Executive Director. "Thanks to research, we have better tools than ever to help people achieve recovery. Addiction treatment addresses a primary cause of child abuse, violence and homelessness and saves millions of dollars in emergency health care, public safety and incarceration. Treatment saves families and saves lives. That’s why – in spite of these difficult times - De Paul continues to work hard to sustain our services and fulfill our mission of creating freedom from drug and alcohol addiction."

Established by the Portland Society of St. Vincent de Paul to provide housing to late-stage alcoholics on Portland’s "skid row", De Paul began with two employees and a grant of $20,000. CETA and the federal Public Inebriate Project (PIP) through the City of Portland Department of Human Resources provided additional funding. The program was located in the 1907 Franklin Hotel at 1320 SW Washington St., Portland, the present location of De Paul’s adult treatment center and administration.

De Paul’s second director, Steve Newton, changed the agency’s focus from providing food and housing to treating the disease of alcoholism beginning in 1977. A recovering alcoholic who was expelled from Notre Dame’s Moreau Seminary, Newton’s vision was to treat the homeless and the poor with the same methods that had proven effective with people with health insurance and the ability to pay for treatment. The National Council on Alcoholism stated at the time that De Paul was the only agency in the country providing treatment to indigent, late-stage alcoholics.

The organization was separately incorporated in 1978. Its capacity increased to 60 beds serving both alcoholics and those addicted to drugs. It had 22 staff and a budget of $425,000. In 1980, residential aftercare and an outpatient program for women with children were added. The Legacy antique shop opened to raise additional funds for De Paul’s mission. Other fundraising efforts included direct mail, bingo and the Ducky Derby.

The De Paul Youth Residential Treatment Center opened in 1985, one of five regional centers in Oregon funded by state government. Today the Youth Center continues to serve low-income youth from throughout northwestern Oregon with residential and outpatient programs and the De Paul Alternative School. A capital campaign to renovate and expand the center is underway.

De Paul is accredited by the national Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. It opened outpatient offices in Hillsboro in 2000 and recently began a DUII program. The agency partners with many local organizations, including Project Metamorphosis, which helps homeless youth in downtown Portland successfully exit street life.

"De Paul has improved the lives of thousands of adults and young people, reunited families, and in some cases, literally saved lives," noted board president Dan Stancil, a vice president at Standard Insurance. "We will weather the current economic conditions and intend to be doing this work as long as people need our services."

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