It's all too common for an alcoholic to leave the treatment center, walk down the street and stop in at the bar. Relapses are expected.
Most counselors expect half their patients to fail.
But officials say there are programs that work at least for some people. It requires that a percentage of welfare funding be used for substance abuse treatment. The theory is that treating the illness is cheaper than the costs of welfare, increased medical bills and criminal activity. The state paid for 28 days of treatment, followed by four months of extended care and three months in a halfway house, and she has been sober ever since. The Hazelden Foundation has developed a highly successful program to work with professionals.