Adolescent treatment program to expand

HASTINGS -- The ADOLESCENT TREATMENT PROGRAM for SUBSTANCE ABUSE at the Hastings Regional Center is being expanded from 28 beds to 40 beds.
The announcement was made Friday morning at Hastings during a press conference that had been called for Gov. Mike Johanns to announce Community Development Block Grants to communities in south Central Nebraska.

But before the start of the press conference on block grants, Johanns called Hastings Mayor Rick Sheehy and State Sen. Carroll Burling of Kenesaw to the podium for the announcement.

In addition to increasing the number of beds, Johanns said, the PROGRAM also may add up to 12 new staff members. Those staff positions could be filled by Hastings Regional Center employees.

"The ADOLESCENT TREATMENT facility is doing very good work," Johanns said. He said he wishes that a facility to deal with SUBSTANCE ABUSE by young people was not needed.

But when it comes to young people and SUBSTANCE ABUSE, Johanns said, "the best way to deal with it is not incarceration, it's TREATMENT."

Johanns said Sheehy and Burling talked to him several months ago about the PROGRAM.

Sheehy said people should not think of the Hastings Regional Center as being closed, but redesigned through PROGRAMS such as an expanded ADOLESCENT TREATMENT PROGRAM.

He said the Immigration and Naturalization Service and other PROGRAMS at the Hastings Regional Center will continue to exist.

Burling said he has talked to people who have been through the ADOLESCENT TREATMENT CENTER and they have high regard for it.