Bobby Buonauro Methadone Clinic

[Terri]

The Bobby Buonauro Clinic was approved by ZBA and placed on Council floor at the April 8th meeting.  The ZBA report to council is in the April 8, 2208 Coucil packet (p124).   Its request was for a medical clinic then further into the report says they will operate a methadone clinic, hours of operation will be Monday thru Friday 5am to 12pm and Saturdays 7am to 10am.   

The Bobby Buonauro Clinic:
http://citehealth.com/rehab-centers/illinois/cities/evanston-city-in-cook-county/bobby-buonauro-clinic-inc

[Berwyn Patsy]

I will make this straight forward and simple.   Was  there a special reason the Aldermen/women who
voted yes?  Maybe there is a perfectly logical explanation as to why such a clinic would be needed or wanted in
Berwyn.
MacNeal I believe has it's own rehab programs 2 block away, why would we need another so close?
Private pay or not, it's a big mistake.
Were the neighbors notified of this by the ZBA?

[Bonster]

The latest BTF member is the Assistant Director (and also an architect).  He may be able to shed some light . . .

[Bennifer]

I will make this straight forward and simple.   Was  there a special reason the Aldermen/women who
voted yes?  Maybe there is a perfectly logical explanation as to why such a clinic would be needed or wanted in
Berwyn.
MacNeal I believe has it's own rehab programs 2 block away, why would we need another so close?
Private pay or not, it's a big mistake.
Were the neighbors notified of this by the ZBA?

Being a professional/service business, I don't believe they pay any taxes. But it is located in an all-medical building from what I heard. A retail business or restaurant (that would be generating sales taxes) would never be in there anyway, right?. Hey, maybe some of the patients will eat at La Notte for lunch and generate some real tax dollars to help fill that $2.2 million budget gap.

Am I worried about the clientele? A little, but I'd be more worried about the clientele that OC's Food 4 Less would bring...

[ZORBA]

brilliant post Bennifer, absolutely brilliant.

Carry on.......

[oldberwynite]

bennifer, what are you saying, food for less will attract what kind of clientel, it baffles me when people worry about the clientel food for less will bring, open your eyes and look around you,could it get any worse

[Sandy]

You might be surprised by the type of people hooked today. They are not all street bums. Unfortunately, some look and often act like anyone else. Berwyn has many substance abuse services, especially around the Depot District. I know of one place that holds 7 AA meetings each week alone.

As for the Food 4 Less, the fear is that only "low lifes" shop at discount food stores. I for one, never shop at "name brand" supermarkets if I can help it. Why should I pay extra when other stores have the same for much less? I would welcome Foor 4 Less.

[Rizzo]

You might be surprised by the type of people hooked today. They are not all street bums. Unfortunately, some look and often act like anyone else. Berwyn has many substance abuse services, especially around the Depot District. I know of one place that holds 7 AA meetings each week alone.

As for the Food 4 Less, the fear is that only "low lifes" shop at discount food stores. I for one, never shop at "name brand" supermarkets if I can help it. Why should I pay extra when other stores have the same for much less? I would welcome Foor 4 Less.

So, its okay to be addicted?  Have you shopped at the food for less in Hinsdale?

[Thor]

So #3 was the only one with enough backbone to say no to this clinic?
Why wasn't there any community meetings held to let the area residents know what is going on?
You think this is bad wait and see what happens if the Lovero-Skyrd-Chapman team take over at City Hall. The Citizens of Berwyn will be back on "a need to know" bases for any important information that affects our community.

[OakParkSpartan]

Folks that don't like this decision might want to check if everyone that was supposed to receive legal notice regarding the zoning hearing did in fact receive it. The documents probably are FOIAble or available for public viewing. 

[Hogzilla]

Doesn't the Filmore Center fill that void? I don't have too much of an issue if it's going into a medical building. Addiction is a medical problem that has to be treated just as depression and heart disease.

[Bonster]

Depends how far along you are.  Methadone is like free, legal heroin; it's no cure. 
An old friend is beyond that, so I've taken him to a street corner in ____ ____ where he could trade whatever pills he's got for a li'l bottle of methadone from someone else who's got a hook up (easy access Dr. (yes, they are plentiful)). 
That way he can pretend he's off the shit.

[frank white]

So #3 was the only one with enough backbone to say no to this clinic?
Why wasn't there any community meetings held to let the area residents know what is going on?
You think this is bad wait and see what happens if the Lovero-Skyrd-Chapman team take over at City Hall. The Citizens of Berwyn will be back on "a need to know" bases for any important information that affects our community.

Isn't that how every local and state government in the US is run? If it isn't could you please point out where.

[Sal R. Sottile]

The Bobby Buonauro Clinic
07/11/08

Let me start by saying, we would be happy to talk with anyone at anytime to discuss concerns.

We are locating the clinic in the Oudeh Medical Building, 3245 S. Grove Avenue. The space is on the first floor of an existing medical office building. There is no feasible way that the space could be used for retail. The Zoning Board agreed 100% in a unanimous vote. They knew exactly what The Bobby Buonauro Clinic was all about.

We should never have had to go the Zoning Board in the first place, which means we should not have had gone to Council.

The Bobby Buonauro Clinic is a private clinic and receives no financial assistance from the government. The vast majority of the clients have jobs and pay for their own treatment. The hours of operation are from 5am to 12pm Monday through Friday and 10am to 12pm Saturday.

Macneal does NOT have a treatment program.
Fillmore does NOT have a treatment program.

Clients of a methadone maintenance clinic come from all walks of life (including Professionals & Veterans). It is anonymous. These people are coming to the clinic to make a positive change in their lives. They need our help. These people are protected by the ADA (American's with Disabilities Act); they have a legal right to treatment.

Community resistance to methadone maintenance treatment is the widely held view that methadone treatment facilities are a part of the opioid addiction problem, rather than a response to the opioid addiction problem.
Even in Berwyn, do you really believe we have no problem?

Methadone maintenance treatment is designed to reduce illegal and harmful opioid use. Harmful opioid use can come from several sources, most commonly heroin, but also addictions to painkillers (vicadin, codeine, dilaudid, oxycodone).

The BBC is fully accredited through The Council on Accreditation (COA), & licensed and regulated by various governmental agencies both federal and state.

Sincerely,
Sal R. Sottile, Assistant Director

[Hogzilla]

Sal, thanks for posting on here. I was under the impression Fillmore did drug treatment. Do they not provide opioid treatment? I'm sure there is plenty of addiction in Berwyn. This week I thought Bonster was on crack at one point. 

[Sal R. Sottile]

Neither, MacNeal nor Fillmore, provide opioid treatment.

[Shelley]

Yes, thanks, Sal.  So the clinic will never be open past noon?  Are there any plans to expand hours?  Also, is it true there will be an armed security guard at the clinic?  Lots of rumors flying around right now...it would be good to get some facts.  What types of services are offered to your patients?  Just the methodone?  Are there support groups?  counseling?  Thanks.  I think one of the fears is the "loitering on the smoke breaks" in front of the building.  I have heard several neighbors/friends mention this about other drug treatment programs in other neighborhoods, though maybe these were more of the AA support group/day treatment variety.  THanks for the information.

Shelley

[frank white]

Berwyn has a problem ,but not in the Depot Dist only in that dreaded North End right folks?

[ZORBA]

Our family pediatrician is located on the second floor of that building.

Our family pediatrician just lost some clients.

[A.Malina]

Residents of many towns object to methadone clinics.
http://www.queenspress.com/archives/coverstories/2000/issue5/coverstory.htm

"Former addicts say that methadone clinics deserve their reputation for being drug dealer and crime magnets. "If you want to know where to get heroin," said one former methadone user, "just open up the Yellow Pages and look under methadone clinics. Right out in front, you can buy anything you want.""

http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080704/NEWS/807040385/-1/rss03

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080602/NEWS/806020317

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9501E5DE153DF935A35757C0A961958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print

"Thomas Kraemer, [the town's] police chief, said he did not know of any crimes directly linked to the clinic or its clients. Still, he describes the treatment center as a ''nuisance,'' adding that in 15 months, his office has received more than 300 complaint calls from the eight-block area surrounding the site for violations ranging from loitering and vandalism to selling drugs.

The clinic's operator, Jerry Bass, said his patients were not a source of crime, a sentiment echoed by some merchants in the Vauxhall section of Union near the clinic.

And Terry O'Connor, the assistant commissioner for the state's Division of Addiction Services, said there were no statistics supporting links between crime and clients of any of the state's methadone clinics.

However, neighbors on the small residential street that butts up against the clinic believe that the methadone users are troublemakers, if not criminals.

''They park on our street, loiter and have fights all the time outside the clinic,'' said Thomas Glenn, a 22-year-old carpenter."