Not in my backyard (NIMBY) is a phrase used for an effort used by residents of a particular neighborhood to prevent a certain organization or business from moving in. Most famously, NIMBY is usually a fight around locating a prison or the housing of sex offenders, but it has also been used against businesses like Walmart. The concept has now extended to residential addiction treatment facilities and sober living homes.
Congressman Darrell Issa of the 49th District is holding a “community panel” on Sept. 1 to discuss the issues concerning sober living homes in his neighborhood. His goal is to allow communities to prevent sober living homes and residential treatment facilities from existing in his mostly pristine district.
It is unconscionable for Issa to think that the over 700,000 people in his district don’t need local addiction treatment. Issa and his ilk think that a community like Laguna Nigel, Vista or Del Mar should be able to pass a law that says we do not want addiction treatment facilities or sober living homes in our neighborhood.
Of the 700,000 people in Issa’s district, 12 percent suffer from Substance Use Disorder or 84,000 individuals. 10 percent of those who suffer from addiction will seek treatment in the next year. That means 8,400 people in Issa’s district will need to be treated by a substance use disorder provider or may need housing in a sober living home. By the way, the heroin crisis is being driven by suburban whites. Where does Issa think the people from his district should seek treatment? The simple answer is in your neighborhood because you are not rich like his neighbors.
NIMBY, not in my backyard. I want my heroin addicted son to seek treatment in your neighborhood or city, far away from my house. Just like in the old days when wealthy parents jettisoned their teenage pregnant daughter far away because of the stigma.
Addicted people who seek treatment are also stigmatized and Congressman Issa’s plan is to add to that stigmatization. You can seek treatment, just not in Laguna Niguel, San Clemente, Del Mar or Vista. We get it Issa, let’s ghettoize addiction treatment so your precious eyes and your neighbors don’t have to see it. Kind of what you have done with the homeless. The only difference is the people seeking addiction treatment are your sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, mothers and fathers.
STAMPP CORBIN
PUBLISHER
San Diego LGBT Weekly
Stampp, did you know that child molesters that are in recovery are exempt from Megan’s Law? They’re placed in open sober homes, often next door to kids. Personally I think kids should be a protected class. Does that sound like a “NIMBY” concern?
Rather than react line by line to this story, I’d rather share a quote from a patient of a big, very rich rehab corporation; “The absolute worst rehab I have ever been to. My family was told it was a twenty bed facility and when I got to the San Clemente location, there were hundreds of patients, meaning no individual attention. They then moved me to the Palm Springs location in the middle of the desert. The housing was a broken down motel with multiple girls to a room. The most beds I saw in a room was about seven and it was very cramped….At the beginning of my stay, they told me I’d be able to see a psychiatrist, the earliest appointment being three days before I was supposed to go home. They also over and under medicated people. There were girls spun out on too much Valium and Suboxone and the other girls freaking out, having panic attacks, and cutting themselves from lack of medication. One girl had a full blown schizophrenic episode for three days before they took her to a hospital or contacted her family. Because there was no real security in this motel location, girls were literally having people drop drugs off at their back door because they let you hold onto any money you have. One girl got caught buying drugs out back, did said drugs, failed a drug test and got her graduation certificate the next day and went home. I could go on and on about this place but I’m done. I stuck it out for three weeks before I called my family and told them what was going on and they immediately flew me home after my “therapist” admitted to them what was actually going on there. They are the most negligent facility in this country. Someone’s going to overdose and die there and they’re gonna get sued, or someone’s gonna kill themselves from not getting proper medication. I hope it’s not your loved one. You have been warned!!!”
At this point Stampp, you are on the same side as the rehab listed above. Next time do your homework instead of simply seeing a chance to try and burn someone you don’t like. Feel free to contact me if you want the real facts.
I always do my homework, please see below.. Unfortunately, you do not understand the registration rules for sex offenders, because they are in recovery does not mean they are exempt from registration. I am sorry your friend had a bad experience. There are over 10,000 substance use treatment providers in the US. You clearly were admitted to a bad one, just like in any business there are bad operators.
The California Sex Offender Registry is responsible for determining if any sex offender registrant who applies for exclusion from the Megan’s Law public web site qualifies for exclusion. Registrants whose only registrable sex offenses are for the following offenses may apply for exclusion: (1) felony sexual battery by restraint (Pen. Code § 243.4, subd. (a)); (2) misdemeanor child molestation (Pen. Code § 647.6), or former section 647(a); (3) any offense which did not involve penetration or oral copulation, the victim of which was a child, stepchild, grandchild, or sibling of the offender, and for which the offender successfully completed or is successfully completing probation; or 4) felony child pornography convictions (Pen. Code §§ 311.1, 311.2 subd. (b), (c) or (d), 311.3, 311.4, 311.10, or 311.11) if the victim was at least 16 years of age or older and that fact is documented in an official court document which you must submit to DOJ.
That’s called lack of government oversight. Nobody’s winning here, but the government and the owner. His for profit business, and the tax revenue it brings in. Anyone pro places like this should be ashamed of yourselves. It’s going to take addiction to touch one of their families and they end up in a place this. This over and under medicating clients is causing an unfortunate situation with suicide . Once insurance decides to stop paying, these people get kicked out with no meds. They are forced to stop cold turkey. They get dope sick, they resort to old habits because it’s available. They shoot up what they did before this mess and od. Some don’t od but now can go back to treatment conveniently because they relapsed and here’s where again the treatment center wins. This can and has gone on for months. The addicts can’t afford to go home, no money plus family has been turned against them, and the shame that they’re worst off than started is a huge factor. This is the reality of the situation folks, we need to help these disabled people. They’re being taken advantage of and exploited. All the while the president is screaming they’re protected.
Awareness! Make addicts matter!
That’s just it. They are registered sex offenders IN OUR NIMBY NEIGHBORHOODS, and yet the registration procedure does not allow for them to be listed during recovery. Are they suddenly not sex offenders then?
Last, there are many, MANY bad sober homes. If you had actually gone to the meeting, you would have heard councilman Brown talk about how he and his kids drove by “his” sober home as they were stretchering out a body. The OD just happened to be the house manager.
Please stop spreading inaccurate information about sex offenders registering their whereabouts. Please provide information form government entities that support your claims or stop posting. There is a big difference between sober living homes and licensed residential treatment facilities. Do your homework.
I’d feel better if these “treatment” centers were regulated and actually helped people. Instead residents are dumped to our communities as soon as their insurance money runs out (instead of being helped), residents leave their drug parapharnelia (think needles, pipes) all over where children can find them, naked drugged out users are at our neighborhood parks. This is way beyond NIMBY. If your son is herion addicted, trust me, you wouldn’t want him at one of these places, he wouldn’t get help.
https://www.bsa.ca.gov/pdfs/sr2010/2007-115.pdf
Remember Stampp, the O.D. I discussed earlier was the house manager. Rules are not followed. Issa wants regulation. Apparently you don’t. Look at the link, as it should make you uneasy about the current non-regulations.
You don’t understand the difference between sober living homes and residential substance use treatment providers. Sober livings should be regulated, the piint of my commentary was to say that they should be in every neighborhood. Once again, sober livings are not treatment centers.