OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Walk into the Public Inebriate Alternative near downtown Oklahoma City and you can’t help but be drawn by the aroma of beans and fresh cornbread.
It’s a hallmark of a place that offers care and nourishment to people who are picked up for public intoxication in Oklahoma City.
A program of the nonprofit OKC Metro Alliance, the PIA works in tandem with the Oklahoma City Police Department to offer individuals 10 hours of detox as an alternative to jail, the Oklahoman reported .
“We always want to provide a safe, clean environment for the individuals who come in. Each individual who comes to our facility must be brought here by law enforcement. You can’t just walk up to the door and ask to come in,” said Shilmila White, director of the PIA. “These are people who are picked up for public intoxication. They have not broken any law or committed any crimes, they are just out in public and intoxicated.
“There’s a danger in being out in public and intoxicated, and there’s a danger for other individuals, as well. So, we want to provide a safe environment for them to come in and calm down. Nobody knows that you’re here unless you tell them that you’re here. There’s no record (of being here), and no fines or fees that you have to pay. You don’t even have to see a judge once you’re released. You just do your 10 hours, and after 10 hours, you’re free to go,” White said.
Those who are brought to the PIA are given a blanket and cot, a hot shower, water and a meal.
“We serve beans and cornbread from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m., we serve bologna sandwiches and chips. We provide them with as much water as they like. We want to feed them, and we also want to give them water because a lot of them are coming in dehydrated,” White said. “As I instruct my staff, we want to treat everyone the way we would want to be treated if we were in that position. We provide showers, we wash their clothes for them. We want individuals to leave clean.”
The facility is divided into areas for both men and women, which holds up to 30 men and 15 women.
“The men’s dorm has reached capacity several times. The women’s dorm has reached eight to 10 females at one time,” White said.
After six years at the PIA, White said it’s more than a job for her and her staff.
“This job is so much more than taking in individuals who are inebriated and keeping them for 10 hours and releasing them. Our staff members are so overwhelmed sometimes, and we relate and understand,” she said. “We get into our own pockets to be able to get them on the bus and get them to where they need to be. That’s just how the program matters to us. It’s more than just a job us, and we want to be able to reach out to individuals and let them know that we understand. Even though you may be in a situation and you may feel no one cares or understands, we do. And we want to show you that each and every day.”
OKC Metro Alliance, one of Oklahoma City’s oldest nonprofit organizations offering alcohol and drug abuse services, is celebrating its 45th year.
What started as a group of residents concerned about the welfare of publicly intoxicated individuals has grown to include the PIA and Firstep, a long-term residential recovery program.
“Our program holds people in the PIA for 10 hours. Then we realized that (people in the PIA) needed somewhere to go after detox. That’s why we created Firstep, which is a long-term residential program for people who want to recover from alcoholism or addiction,” said Connie Schlittler, executive director of OKC Metro Alliance.
Firstep is open to all who need services. The program duration lasts from six months to two years and requires no admission fee.
“We have a lot of requests for services. Historically, we’ve never charged fees. What we’ve started doing now is we place people in employment and through those wages, people are able to pay their fees while they are in the program,” Schlittler said.
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Information from: The Oklahoman, http://www.newsok.com
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