To the Editor:
It’s ironic that in a month when children dress up as their favorite, imaginative characters that we have our own imaginative witch trial going on in Wildwood over Cape Assist’s plan to purchase and move their prevention program into the former K & K building at 5010 New Jersey Ave. Fear mongering and rumors have been spread throughout the community to create opposition. I know, I am a resident of the Wildwoods and hear the rumor mill that if Cape Assist expands into this building it will bring a methadone clinic! A needle exchange! A “Mexican daycare” into our “nice,” family vacation town. A “Mexican daycare?” That’s really a detraction to serve children of any background?
While there are needs for all of the above-mentioned rumors, they are being met at other locations and by other agencies and are not what Cape Assist provides as part of their mission and purpose in the community! I want to be clear that when you voice opposition and say “no” to the Cape Assist prevention expansion, you are really saying, “No, I don’t want free mammograms in the community,” “No, I don’t want parenting classes,” “No, I don’t want wellness education classes and lunch for seniors in my community,” “No, I don’t want professional development education for teachers, administrators, community leaders, prevention specialists, and therapists to learn how to better help stop the drug epidemic in youth before it happens.”
What many don’t realize is that Cape Assist has two very distinct branches: prevention and treatment. Treatment is the new branch in the last four and a half years. Treatment provides drug-free, outpatient care to individuals who are experiencing negative life issues related to their alcohol/drug use. The goal for individuals in treatment is to abstain and develop recovery from their substances of choice.
The prevention part of Cape Assist is their foundation; it’s the heart of their mission to improve the lives of those in the community and has been so for over 30 years. Prevention is about strengthening what’s healthy in communities and trying to prevent problems. Prevention involves going into the schools and teaching life skills to children, such as conflict resolution, being a friend, making good choices, offering a safe and supportive after-school and summer program for children in the community, and providing parenting and family programs to strengthen and teach families to break unhealthy cycles. It’s health, wellness, stress-management programs for seniors and other community members, health fairs, and community coalitions to study and better address trends of substance use in the community.
So, when you think about signing the next round of petitions or attending the next meeting about the proposed purchase, think about what you are really saying no to. The news is full of heroin tragedies and other alcohol and drug-related problems. Do you really want to ignore the fact that, as a community, the Wildwoods need prevention efforts? We need more safe havens for children. We need more people trying to make a positive difference in the community. Too many people and families have been impacted by alcohol and drugs to say “no” to expanding prevention efforts.
Ed. Note: The author is a clinical director at Families Matter, LLC in Villas and has worked for Cape Counseling, Stockton University and Cape Assist.