Urine Scam Shines Light On Chronic Shortcomings In State’s Oversight Of Rehab Programs

California is “the wild, wild west right now,” said Kansas Cafferty, a commissioner with the National Certification Commission for Addiction Professionals.

Orange County Register: How A Multi-Million Dollar Empire Built Around Urine Drug Tests Exposes Flaws In California’s Rehab Laws
Drug counselors in California are certified by industry-related agencies to work in recovery programs. ... But officials and critics say neither the third-party certification organizations, nor the state health services agency, are routinely notified by law enforcement or state officials when treatment center operators or their workers are convicted of crimes or disciplined for license violations. (Saavedra and Schwebke, 12/18)

Orange County Register: Are Drug Rehab Centers Fueling Homelessness In Southern California?
Homelessness has surged in Southern California in recent years, a problem that has confounded officials and motivated local leaders – including Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and the Orange County Board of Supervisors. ... But one aspect of the problem hasn’t been widely examined: What connection, if any, exists between the outsized number of rehab centers in Southern California and the region’s fast-growing homeless population? (Graham, 12/17)

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