California’s low-level regulation of addiction treatment and rehabilitation facilities that make it almost impossible to properly track them is under scrutiny as the state auditor’s office embarks …
and there are no widely adopted methods to track or monitor any aspect of these facilities, including their location, number of residents, on-site management and ownership. “Many of the homes in question are privately owned, unlicensed, unsupervised and a challenge to monitor and regulate,” the report states.
Several cities, including Costa Mesa, Newport Beach and Anaheim, have in place ordinances that regulate sober living homes. In, no convicted sex offenders, violent felons or drug dealers can run sober homes. Supervision of clients 24/7 is required, sober homes must be at least 650 feet apart, residents must be actively participating in “legitimate” recovery programs and transportation must be provided when residents leave. This audit, however, seeks DHCS records, which are only for licensed addiction treatment facilities. Dixon said the Joint Legislative Audit Committee expects data from the state auditor’s office in about six months.The bipartisan request was signed by Orange County legislators, including Assemblymembers Laurie Davies, R-Laguna Niguel; Cottie Petrie-Norris, D-Irvine; Kate Sanchez, R-Rancho Santa Margarita; and Tri Ta, R-Westminster, as well as Sens. Dave Min, D-Irvine; Josh Newman, D-Fullerton; and Janet Nguyen, R-Huntington Beach. “The requested audit, when completed, will ensure that California’s Department of Health Care Services is properly regulating facilities and fully complying with all relevant laws and regulations in order to fully and effectively protect not only the residents of these facilities but the community at large,” said Newman. The request was unanimously approved by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, which includes Sen. Kelly Seyarto, R-Murrieta; Assemblymember Avelino Valencia, D-Anaheim; and Sen. Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas, who serves as the committee’s vice chair. “These licensed recovery and treatment facilities, while necessary, change the fabric of our neighborhoods. My district is saturated with them,” said Valencia, who represents Anaheim, Orange and Santa Ana in north Orange County. “The audit will bring much-needed transparency on the Department of Health Care Services’ licensing and regulatory processes of these facilities.” Dixon said: “The report from the audit will help provide direction for the legislature on how to address these problems and close any loopholes in regulation and enforcement. People need to be rehabilitated.” Separately, in Orange County, the grand jury has recommended cities and the County of Orange “collaborate in their efforts to create ordinances for the regulation of group homes, including the development of model ordinances.”
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