Multimedia Reporting (Bradford-Utsler)

Every year about 100 women enter the DCCCA First Step House – one of the most expensive services DCCCA offers. The women typically stay for 90 to 120 days as they take the next step toward recovering from substance abuse. While in the First Step House, the women are also allowed to live with their children, which can add about 30 extra occupants per year, making the 24-hour service even more expensive for DCCCA to run.

To afford such a service, DCCCA, Douglas County Citizens Committee on Alcoholism, depends on the money it receives from Lawrence’s Special Alcohol Fund. DCCCA isn’t alone.

Click to see a breakdown of 2006 SAF allocations compared to past years.

DCCCA is one of 15 local agencies that receive money from the Special Alcohol Fund in order to help those in the community affected by or at risk of substance abuse. A few agencies are left without Special Alcohol Fund assistance, though, and some that receive SAF money don’t get as much as they would like.

In 2006, all three DCCCA agencies received increases in funding from the SAF for the first time in at least four years, but DCCCA director Jen Brinkerhoff said, despite the increases, DCCCA would still lose money for the year.

“We run in the red all the time,” Brinkerhoff said. “Because of the nature of the business where a lot of people don’t have private insurance, we rely a lot on the state to help reimburse that, but they only reimburse up to a certain amount.”

If it weren’t for the SAF, though, DCCCA would depend completely on the state. This year some agencies must look elsewhere for funding that they once received from the SAF.

The Douglas County Visitation Center, University of Kansas Center for Research, Haskell Indian Nations University and Lawrence Open Shelter agencies received a combined $29,500 from the SAF in 2005. None of these agencies were granted money from the SAF in 2006. Overall, seven of the 22 agencies that applied for SAF money were denied.

When it comes to selecting which agencies get SAF money, Assistant City Manager Debbie Van Saun said there were two main factors. The first being the amount of money the city budgeted for the fund and, secondly, how well each agency performed in regard to treatment, coordination, intervention and prevention of substance abuse in the community.

Van Saun said the first was the more likely reason of the two for the reductions.

“I’m guessing it might be that there are more agencies asking for more money and the pie has to be split a little bit more across the board,” Van Saun said.

As evidence of that, eight of the 15 agencies that are receiving SAF money in 2006 were granted less money than requested. The amount of money refused these agencies totals $90,587. One agency that had its share of SAF money noticeably cut was the KU Organizations and Activities agency. It requested $30,000 but was granted only $20,000.

KU Activities assistant director Susan Hoffman said KU Organizations and Activities used SAF money to put on such events as Hawk Nights, a pool party at the Lawrence city pool and a street ball tournament. She also said KU Organizations and Activities was planning a Casino Night with Templin Hall as well as another street ball tournament.

Thanks in part to additional funding from the Kansas Memorial Unions and new student fees, Hoffman didn’t expect Kansas Organizations and Activities to have to cut any programs due to a lack of money from the SAF.

In fact, Hoffman said she felt fortunate Kansas Organizations and Activities received as much SAF money as it did after she attended a meeting last fall and learned what other agencies were doing within the community.

“When we went to that meeting I was like, let’s sing our praises and make sure they know that we’re doing great things, and when I came out of that I thought, you know, we should be really happy with the $20,000 because that’s a lot of money and there’s so many other organizations and agencies out there that are really helping people that are seriously at risk,” Hoffman said.

Just like Kansas Organizations and Activities receives money from alternate sources within the University, five agencies that receive SAF money also receive money from other city funds. DCCCA isn’t one of the five.

As a result, Brinkerhoff said DCCCA is considering seeking a second straight increase in funding from the SAF to maintain current programs and possibly add a detoxification center to the Lawrence community.

“I think there’s always a need,” Brinkerhoff said. “We could ask for more money every year.”