Q: What is the waiting time for entry into APRA treatment?

Here's how it breaks down!

Persons who have HIV/AIDS or other very serious medical conditions, who are members of the Addiction Prevention and Recovery Administration's (APRA's) needle exchange, or are very heavy alcohol or other drug users are given preference, as are pregnant or postpartum women.

Persons seeking abstinence programs can be placed quickly. If the person wants to enter Karrick Hall for a 28-day inpatient program, that person must be free of alcohol or other drugs for at least five days. Persons who have completed Detox will be given some preference.

Persons seeking help with their heroin habit are divided into two categories when they come into Central Intake Division (CID)-those who have been in heroin treatment programs previously, and those who are new to APRA.

Those who are in the first category are placed first in Minimum Services-that is, they will receive blocking doses of methadone, but no other treatment-until a place opens up in one of APRA's methadone maintenance clinics. They can usually enter Minimum Services that day, and can expect to remain in Minimum services for up to 90 days.

Those in the second category do not go into Minimum Services first, but instead are sent to one of APRA's methadone maintenance clinics. As of this writing, there are over 1,200 persons on the waiting list. The waiting time for persons in this category is between four to five months.

Criminal justice clients with heroin habits will be given some preference, so they do not have to undergo incarceration if at all possible.