The Southwest San Clemente Alliance (SWSCA) announced on Saturday, June 29, that three homes in its area, designated by various operations to be sober living homes, have been recently listed for sale after they were abandoned by the operating companies.
The organization claimed responsibility for the “significant victory,” referring to itself as a vocal advocate for neighborhoods vulnerable to bearing the burden of housing underregulated and dangerous facilities.
“There needs to be a great deal of care and thought put into this industry to determine what works and what doesn’t, which has not happened despite the increase in people needing addiction treatment,” said SCWSCA founder Sarah Schneider in a news release. “We know that placing unregulated for-profit treatment businesses in residential neighborhoods without medical oversight and transparency is a recipe for disaster.”
Schneider added that the industry is completely broken, and that the state needs to take more action in implementing legislation and regulations to ensure effective care and to protect families. She also called for allowing municipalities to regulate and zone for for-profit addiction treatment businesses’ facilities.
In addition to fighting to keep such facilities out of southwest San Clemente, the SWSCA is also supporting Assembly Bills 2081 and 2574, the only two remaining addiction recovery bills in the current legislative cycle.
AB 2081, last amended on April 4 in the California State Assembly, would require an alcoholism or drug abuse treatment facility or program operator display a disclosure on its website, allowing for visitors to check whether the facility’s license or program’s certification has been placed on probationary status, revoked, or subject to another state action regarding a violation of law. The bill, sponsored by Assemblymember Laurie Davies, is currently being read in the Senate.
AB 2574, also currently in the Senate, would require an organization that operates or owns a licensed facility or certified program to disclose to the State Department of Health Care Services whether a director, licensee, or officer has a financial interest in a recovery residence and whether it has contracts with an involved entity that is not officially a part of the facility or program.
More information about the SWSCA’s activities can be found by contacting Sarah Schneider at sarahwschneider@yahoo.com or by calling 425.777.0897.