http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailfeatures.asp?fileid=20060308.Q03&irec=5
The business of counseling The opening of rehabilitation centers has become a racket says Dony, whose claims are backed by other drug workers. "Some unscrupulous doctors have opened clinics, charged huge fees up front and prescribed expensive medication," he said. "When the treatment fails they close up shop. Other religious-based treatments think addiction is a moral flaw caused by a failure to follow ancient teachings. Some are brutal and believe bashing or sexually abusing inmates helps a cure. "I've experienced these `treatments'. I am a Catholic, not an agnostic. Most users are religious." In Indonesia there are no controls on who can open a rehabilitation center or call themselves counselors. Elsewhere such centers are monitored by the government or professional body, and a `counselor' must have qualifications from an approved educator. It's a very tough job that requires extraordinary skills. By their own admission junkies are very difficult to work with -- and experts at manipulation. As the survivors say, it takes "hard wisdom". At last count there were around 80 rehab centers, most in Jakarta. But they open and close like curtains and there's no user guide to the quality or success rate. Fees charged vary from nothing to hundreds of millions of rupiah. (Dony's Wahana Kinasih charges Rp 3 million a month for full board and treatment, but waives this when clients are proven poor.) There are no court diversion programs in Indonesia where addicts are given the choice of rehabilitation instead of incarceration. In any case, said Dony cynically, most would prefer prison knowing that drugs would still be available inside jail and cheaper than on the streets. Many rehab centers don't have aftercare or reentry units. The result is that apparently clean clients go from several months' treatment straight back into the environment which first caused them to become users. Free rehabilitation centers and de-tox treatments for the poor in East Java aren't necessary because users come from rich families, according to Police Commander Sarwono. The province has three hospital-based de-tox units and six rehab centers registered with the police, though many others operate without telling the authorities. "Users fear that if they go to a rehab center they'll be arrested," he said. "That's not so -- they're victims. We're looking for the suppliers, the Mr Bigs. It's better to prevent than repress. "The poor can't afford to use drugs. (Former users say a hit of heroin costs about Rp 100,000 -- or US$11). Sellers target the rich kids." Sarwono, who heads the 85-strong drug unit in the East Java Police said last year more than 2,000 suspects were arrested. More than 60 per cent were later convicted of trafficking. Most drugs were found to have come from Thailand and Aceh. "I'm optimistic about the future," he said. "The problem is getting bigger but we are also achieving more arrests and finding more drugs and drug factories. "But to catch the suppliers we must have the support of the community and people who will inform us of drug sales. They should not be frightened to do that. We'll protect them from any retribution." Drugs have produced a blight of bureaucracies and acronyms to bamboozle the newcomer. Former president Megawati gave the task of coordinating the anti-drug campaign to the "spooks" -- the National Intelligence Agency (BIN), maintaining the law-and-order approach. Previously the job had been done by the National Narcotics Coordinating Agency (BKKN). This became the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) with responsibility for implementing programs rather than helping funding agencies and NGOs work together. Critics say this has created a mess of competing and overlapping programs. The ideal system according to Joyce would have agencies assigned specific tasks and research by one authority so there is no duplication. Then there's GRANAT - the National Anti-Narcotics Movement. This organization believes about four million Indonesians use drugs -- and most are poor. Many use drugs to escape the ugly reality of their almost hopeless position. Overseas money is widely used to fund agencies running programs to combat HIV/AIDS because the disease is considered a global problem. UNICEF, the Ford Foundation, AusAID and many others have all been involved. Unfortunately there's no 24/7 national hotline for parents seeking help. Duncan Graham For agencies associated with Yayasan Kita call: East Java (031) 503 9228; West Java (0251) 243 077; Bali (0361) 465 203; Makassar (0411) 873 658 or e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------ Yahoo! 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