CHIAYI SETS UP FIRST HALFWAY HOUSE FOR FEMALE DRUG ABUSERS|嘉義"蛻變驛園" 助女性藥癮者戒癮.自立

Chiayi County government established its first halfway house for women with drug dependency issues. The center wants to help these amenable offenders return to socierty though rehabilitation, couseling ,and job training. An 18-year-old and her partners came to a social welfare institute to do social service. By accompanying patients with severe cerebral palsy, they learn how to interact with people with disabilities and develop better people skills. Hsiao-en (pseudonym) started doing drugs since she was 12. She was afflicted with domestic violence, and could do nothing to help herself and her mother to get out of this vicious cycle. However, for the sake of her mother, Hsiao-en decided to make a change and received drug rehabilitation. The halfway house which Hsiao-en currently lives in is the first public-founded halfway house targeting at female drug abusers. ==HSIAO-EN (PSEUDONYM) halfway house resident== My father and mother often quarreled with each other. It was horrible to stay at home because there was no warmth. So I went out to seek support from friends. I thought they understood me better since we were peers. I knew the pain and suffering that came after the drugs' effect withdrawals, but the euphoria, while fleeting, means I could at least forget about unpleasant memories. At her facility, there are other girls who suffered a similar situation. ==HSIAO-EN (PSEUDONYM) halfway house resident== Whenever my father was in a drunken fit, he hit my mother. It happened when I was in elementary school. The halfway house was established in 2016 in Chiayi. There are now five members, with an average age of 18. Besides providing drug rehabilitation program, the halfway house also offers job training. According to social workers, it is more difficult for women to give up drugs than men. ==LIN CHUN-HSIANG social worker== It is more difficult for female drug abusers to give up drugs, because besides domestic factors, their relationship with men often makes the situation even more complicated. The half-way house was met with difficulties before it was set up. Local residents in Chiayi protested against the founding of such institution. It took two years to persuade the residents. ==HSU CHIA-CHEN Chief of Chiayi County Health Bureau== Some local residents were against the building of a halfway house for drug abusers in their neighborhood. The challenge continues as the facility faces insufficient funds, because counseling work, job training programs and staff workers all cost money and those receiving care do not have to pay for their expenses. As Chiayi County government's fiscal condition tightens, the association collaborating with the county government to run the institute is worried that limited resources will affect the operation of the facility. ==LI TSUNG-HSIEN Asst. Prof., Dept. of Criminology, CCU== The county government provides us too few resources. The institute also lacks connection with other civil organizations. If we wait until we have all the money we want, we won't be able to help as many drug abusers. Even if there were enough funds, there would still remain a question whether these drug abusers can really be free of drugs after they leave the halfway house. The facility said that they will keep track of them, and encourage them to quit drugs if they relapse. TRANSLATED BY：ARIEL HSIEH (更生人重回社會，有的人連家都歸不得。除了民間團體給予協助，也有公部門跨出第一步。)嘉義縣政府就成立、全國首座，女性藥癮中途之家，讓家庭失能的女性藥癮者，能有棲身之所，也能學習一技之長，並且透過諮商輔導，戒除藥癮。 小恩跟同伴，來到社福機構，陪伴重度腦性麻痺的學員到戶外走走，近距離與身障朋友互動與相處，學習愛心與同理心，這是蛻變驛園的諮商輔導中的一項課程社會服務。 ==小恩(化名)== 就是爸爸媽媽常常吵架 就覺得家裡很恐怖 不溫暖 就會跑去找朋友 就覺得 同儕比較懂我們吧 可是明明知道說它(打藥)痛了之後 退掉之後會很難過 很不舒服 就是就想要那一時的快樂 至少可以忘掉很多事情 今年18歲的小恩，因為家庭暴力感到痛苦、卻無力改變，國小6年級就染毒，她跟母親感情很好，就是不忍長年受家暴的母親、再操心她，選擇來到蛻變驛園戒毒。蛻變驛園從105年成立至今，收容5名學員，平均年齡18歲，幾乎都是家庭失去功能。 ==小米(化名)== 爸爸發酒瘋吧 （然後會）就是打媽媽 （長期嗎）在我國小的時候 蛻變驛園，是全國首座由公部門成立的女性藥癮者中途之家，收容返家困難或無家可歸的女性，還有職業訓練，與戒癮治療。他們發現，女性比男性更難戒毒，因為他們較敏感、纖細，必須從心靈層面下手。 ==蛻變驛園社工 林春香== （女性藥癮者)就是會比較難以戒斷 其實她們大部份 很多除了是家庭因素之外 還有就是跟 跟男生的 男伴有關係 就是她們的交往 跟男性的交往有關係 其實在情感層面上面 她們是比較深的 不過即便是政府主導成立的機構，也面臨許多困難，光是設置地點，就因為附近民眾反覆抗議，花了兩年的時間，才解決。結果接下來又碰上經費不足的困難。 ==嘉義縣府衛生局長 許家禎== 剛談完 反對的民意 反對者就來了 他們不要把這個 毒品更生人的中途之家 蓋在他們那個地方 嘉義縣財政困窘，學員進到蛻變驛園，不需支付任何費用，但諮商輔導、職訓、人事支出都是開銷，也讓接手經營的專家學者，擔心資源不足。 ==嘉義中正大學犯罪防治學系助理教授 李宗憲== 其實縣政府能夠 給我們的資源是很欠缺的 然後我們現在跟所謂的 民間單位的連結也是欠缺 （但若)等它整個資源都齊備了 我們再來做的時候 其實在這過程中 我們就會損失了 很多幫助這些藥癮者的機會 經費是難題，戒癮者離開後，能否持續對抗藥癮，也是另一項隱憂，不過蛻變驛園表示會持續追蹤，真有狀況也會鼓勵學員再重新戒癮。 記者 王柔婷 陳顯坤 嘉義報導