Advocacy

Advocacy Objectives:

• IMPACT public policy to support treatment as an effective solution for women addicted to alcohol and drugs.
• URGE the importance of gender-specific treatment and the unique needs of women dealing with substance abuse; keep families together.
• MOTIVATE women in recovery to raise awareness about and advocate on behalf of gender-specific and family-based treatment.
• EDUCATE the public to reduce the stigma associated with alcohol and drug addiction in women.

Advocacy at Meta House

1. Sacred Authority

   
   Members of the Wisconsin Sacred Authority Chapter

   Meta House serves as the headquarters to the Wisconsin chapter of Sacred Authority, a national-network of mothers in recovery who aim to impact legislation through their real-life experiences of addiction, trauma, poverty, and violence. The network of Sacred Authority chapters is part of the Rebecca Project, which works from the nation’s capital to improve conditions for vulnerable families by motivating them to affect legislation regarding child welfare, criminal justice, and substance abuse policies.

   Progress made by the Wisconsin chapter of Sacred Authority includes:

   • Training approximately 30 Meta House graduates to advocate on behalf of women and mothers with substance abuse disorders. 
   • Traveling with Meta House’s executive director to Washington D.C. to share stories with national officials
   • Presenting to the State Joint Finance Committee in Wisconsin regarding pregnant women and substance abuse.
   • Attending county budget meetings to advocate for substance abuse treatment and daycare programs.

   Find out more at:

   • The Rebecca Project for Human Rights
   • U.S. Department Human and Health Services Recovery Month
2. Meta House Staff

   Meta House staff and volunteers attend more than 100 public outreach events a year throughout Milwaukee to raise awareness about the unique issues facing women who have substance abuse disorders and the effectiveness of treatment.

3. Community Advocacy

   You can join Meta House in advocating for gender-specific substance abuse treatment. Your support shows legislators that comprehensive treatment centers like Meta House is important to the community.

Get Involved!

Join our Community Advocacy Committee. Please complete the blue “Get Involved” form on the right or send an e-mail with your name, address, phone, e-mail, and a brief description of your experience in community advocacy to wcozzens@metahouse.org.

Why Advocacy for Treatment is Important

1. Cost Savings to the Community
   • Average cost for incarceration of women in Wisconsin is $31,200. Meta House served 134 women in 2007 who had been in the criminal justice system, for a total cost savings of $4,180,800 to the Milwaukee community.
   • Average cost to treat one drug-exposed infant in a Neo-natal Care Unit in Milwaukee is $180,000. In 2007, 28 babies were born drug-free while their mothers were at Meta House, saving the community $5,040,000.
   • Average cost to put a child in foster care in Milwaukee County is $5,045. In 2007, 74 children were reunited with their mothers in treatment at Meta House with a cost savings of $373,330 to the Milwaukee community.
2. Statistics

   Take the quiz below and learn more about the social and economic impact of alcohol and drug addiction on the community and why it is important to advocate for treatment!

1. Of women ages 18-49, _____% on average were in need of substance abuse treatment from 2004-2006.

1. 2.3%
2. 7.5%
3. 9.4%
4. 12.5%

2.  It is estimated that _____% of individuals in prison have issues with alcohol or drug abuse and/or dependence.

1. 54%
2. 23%
3. 46%
4. 10%

3. Girls who have experienced sexual abuse are ____ times more likely to develop psychiatric disorders or abuse alcohol or other drugs in adulthood.

1. 2
2. 5.5
3. 3
4. 1.5

4. There was a _____% increase in employment among individuals who completed substance abuse treatment, and a _____% decrease in those receiving welfare.

1. 19%, 11%
2. 41%, 0%
3. 12%, 39%
4. 5%, 3%

5. Six months after being discharged from family-based treatment, _____% of women remain sober.

1. 92%
2. 35%
3. 49%
4. 62%

Click to see quiz answers.