Archive for September, 2013
Issues women face in recovery
Recovery Month is an international observance that highlights the fact that addiction treatment and mental health services can enable those with a mental and/or substance use disorder to live a healthy and rewarding life. Each September, thousands of prevention, treatment, recovery programs and services around the world celebrate their successes and share them with their neighbors, friends, and colleagues in an effort to educate the public about recovery, how it works, for whom, and why.
Locally, we are highlighting the interaction between women and recovery with a specific focus on barriers to treatment. Worldwide statistics suggest that women are underrepresented in Substance use treatment. The data suggest that anywhere between 25-40% of clients in treatment at any given time, are women. On Island, these statistics are even lower. Recent data from The Department of Counseling Services show that 20% of active clients that are in treatment for substance use, are women. This article seeks to highlight the underrepresentation of women in recovery, and some of the many barriers women face in recovery.
Historically the underrepresentation of women in recovery was attributed to the fact that prior to the 1960’s; many people were not looking at the world through a "gender lens". Understanding women from a social science perspective began during the second wave of the women's movement (1960's through 1970's). It wasn't until researchers began to question science’s conclusions that women’s issues in recovery began to surface.
Most users will not seek treatment on their own; contact with treatment largely depends on other persons or agencies (e.g. family members, health care providers, government agencies, the legal system etc). The likelihood that a substance abuse problem will be identified appears to differ by gender. Forexample, compared with men, substance abuse problems among women, particularly older women are less likely to be identified in health care settings.
Compared with male substance abusers, female substance abusers tend to have more physical problems, and are more vulnerable than males to the physiological effects of substance use. Given this information, it is not entirely surprising that upon contact with health services, women are more likely to be referred for mental health or medical intervention, as opposed to substance abuse treatment. More often than women, men will be mandated to treatment by the criminal justice system. The strong correlation between drugs and criminal behavior amongst men is a factor that contributes to higher rates of identification.
In addition to various medical problems, the substance abusing woman is at increased risk for psychological problems. Co morbid psychiatric disorders, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar affective disorder, phobias, psychosexual disorders, eating disorders, or posttraumatic stress disorder are found more in women than in men. This can affect their interaction with treatment in many ways. For example, the depressed woman might know that she needs treatment but due to her disorder, might lack the motivation necessary to do so; or the substance abusing woman with anxiety disorder might be paralyzed by the thought of attending treatment.
One of the biggest issue women faces as it pertains to recovery, is stigmatization and the accompanying shame. The size of our Island nation lends itself to more frequent occurrences of stigmatization, as even the slightest variation increases the possibility that it will be detected. Drug use is one of those variations that carry a heavy stigma anywhere in the world. Both men and women experience the stigma attached to drug use, they differ however in the degree to which it is experienced. It has been found that the stigma is much greater for women because of gender-based stereotypes that hold women to different standards.
Men’s drug and alcohol use is more socially tolerated and sometimes condoned as acceptable “machismo” behavior, whereas drinking and drugging on the part of women engender greater social disapproval and are considered adverse to traditional female roles of mother and wife. Fueling the already high stigmatization that women user’s experience, is the assumption and belief that women who uses drugs and abuses alcohol also engages in prostitution to fuel their addiction. These demoralizing assumptions also contribute to the women not attending treatment. Women tend to feel exacerbated shame due to their roles as primary caretakers and nurturers.
Women, especially The Caymanian woman, were historically considered the backbone of the family. Traditionally the Caymanian woman had to maintain 2 roles; she looked after the affairs of the house while earning a living to support her family. She was asked to be strong, tough and rugged, but also nurturing, loving and protective. Compounding the role of traditional Caymanian women is the high rate of absentee fathers. The fall from grace women users’ experience, when they perceive others as seeing them as “unfit” and “less than”; is much easier to disregard than to confront. Attending treatment would most likely lead to addressing the issues that gave rise to the identification of a problem and the acceptance that the problem is real; a task that might be overwhelming to thefemale user.
Added to the stigmatization and shame, the female user is highly fearful. There are many reasons as to why fear affects women in recovery; but it specifically focuses on 2 areas. Generally speaking, women are usually the main care providers in the family. For some women drug users, parenthood can be a barrier to treatment, as theyfear the involvement of children's services could mean their children will be taken away. Some women look at attending treatment as admitting that they are unfit mothers. Most men users tend to be absentee fathers and thus this issue tends to be female dominated. Even the female user who desires to attend treatment encounters concerns with parenting. Women in treatment are more likely to be responsible for the care of children, to have more children living in their homes, and to be more concerned about issues related to children than men.
Without securing childcare issues, the female user who wants to attend treatment will encounter logistical issues that can interfere with treatment outcomes. Another reason why the female experience is characterized by fear is that, in some situations attending treatment might be putting her at increased risk. Research has shown that female users are more likely to have using partners than men users. The female user that desires to attend treatment might not get the support and encouragement she needs to develop the motivation necessary to address her issues. As a matter of fact, she is more likely to experience the opposite. Seeking treatment may create a serious problem for the relationship; she is more likely to be discouraged, threatened or even abused than encouraged
The issues women face in recovery could not be fully explained in such a relatively small article. The article's main intent was to highlight some of the many gender specific issues experienced by female users. The Department of Counseling Services is committed to Client directed therapy that is sensitive to the complex issues of those who we serve. The 3 arms of the department work cohesively as a unit and in partnership with outside agencies to increase the possibility of sufficiently addressing all therapeutic needs. Join us as we celebrate Recovery Month.
Greg Miller is a Counsellor (Community Based) with the Cayman Islands Department of Counselling Services
Surplus $18M short of goal
(CNS): Although the UK appears to have fewer concerns about the current budget situation in the Cayman Islands than last year, the government has wound up around $18.7 million short of the predicted target. Finance Minister Marco Archer confirmed this week, as he went through the supplementary appropriations, that the unaudited results for the 2012/13 fiscal year saw government end the year with a surplus of $63.3 million. While this was the biggest surplus for many years, it was still short of the projected budget surplus of $82 million, which the former premier and minister of finance, McKeeva Bush, had presented last year after a protracted battle with the UK and a flurry of new fees and increases.
Although austerity measures across the civil service resulted in a fall in the operating budget of a welcome $10 million, government collected around $30 million less than anticipated.
The fall in predicted revenue was because the relevant legislation was passed too late to generate new fees or not passed at all and because predicted sources of revenue missing thier targets. For example, the special economic zone, Cayman Enterprise City, was expected to generate millions of dollars but the revenue collected was less than $200,000.
Although the new PPM government has not yet presented its full budget for the 2013/14 year, because of the need for an interim budget it has already cleared the broad outline with the UK after the FCO confirmed that it had accepted the government’s new four year fiscal plan and the route back to compliance with the Public Management and Finance Law.
Presenting a report on the first 99 days in office on Thursday, Premier Alden McLaughlin said that government had managed to tighten its belt recently and by not using its overdraft facility over the last quarter, it had saved government those fees as well.
“Government negotiated an increased overdraft of up to $46 million for more flexibility with cash flow, with the stipulation that government could not spend more than $30 million before 31 October. One of the positive effects of achieving expenditure restraint is the fact that government has not incurred an overdraft balance during the three-month period from 1 June to 31 August, 2013. Consequently, overdraft interest has been completely avoided,” McLaughlin told legislators.
Government is expected to deliver the full budget for 2013/14 during the week starting 23 September, more than a month ahead of the expiration of the emergency budget, which the finance minister and premier have said will give MLAs time to properly scrutinize the spending plans and question civil servants without sitting in the early hours of the morning in last minute marathon sessions, as has been common over the last four years.
ERA explains premature news of cheaper bills
(CNS): Expectations of cheaper power bills in September have been dashed after the Electricity Regulatory Authority announced that it jumped the gun when it supplied information to government which was used in a public report. Revelations in the PPM’s 99 day report, released Thursday, that said customers would get a small reduction in their CUC bills and a credit this month in connection with an insurance payment were later revealed to be premature. The new managing director of the regulatory authority confirmed Thursday evening that the talks regarding the adjustment are ongoing.
“The comments on both items – the base rate adjustment and the insurance proceeds – were premature and are subject to on-going discussions between the ERA and CUC,” Charlie Farrington, the MD, stated in relation to the details in the government’s report. “The confusion arose at the ERA where there was a mix-up in communications resulting in the ERA providing the Ministry with premature and inaccurate information. The ERA regrets this error,” he added.
Despite the disappointment, the government is confident that the credit and base rate cut is coming soon. The misunderstanding relates to a section in the report that states the ERA had successfully won a dispute with CUC regarding the recent base rate increase.
The ERA expects there to be a credit applied to consumer bills in September and for the rate
to be adjusted slightly downward commencing in September billings. The regulator was said to have reached a settlement with CUC to claim around US$950,000 from insurers for additionalfuel consumed due to catastrophic failures of generators in 2011. The money will, once the deal is finalized, be credited back to consumers via the fuel charge, reducing the balance in the CUC fuel tracker account.
Juvenile lock-up in the works
(CNS): The chief officer in the new home affairs ministry, which has responsibility for the prison, has revealed that a temporary facility is being constructed at HMP Northward that will help the Cayman government meet what were described as “the minimum requirements” in the country’s Bill of Rights when it comes to separating young offenders from adults in the prison system. Government officials confirmed Wednesday that around $1.3 million had been spent on preparing the foundations at the more sophisticated planned youth facility in Fairbanks but that project had been stopped because of budget constraints.
As a result of the introduction of a bill of rights and the accepted position that children should not be held in custody in an adult jail, or even at the same facility as adults, the government had set about creating a modern facility that covered a range of needs for the growing number of young people who are vulnerable, at risk or who have already fallen into the criminal justice system before reaching adulthood.
The previous government had planned to adopt the much heralded and successful Missouri Model of juvenile incarceration, but plans for that facility now appear to have been abandoned because of costs. Expected to cost close to $10 million to build and then several million per year to run, the government has been forced to shelve the modern facility, even though the foundations have been prepared and around $1.3 million spent already on plans, designs and the early construction work.
It is now just two months away from the deadline for when the government must meet the requirement in the Bill of Rights, and with the full facility abandoned, Home Affairs CO Eric Bush explained to legislators during a special sitting of Finance Committee on Wednesday that the ministry is constructing a new stand-alone facility at HMP Northward to house young offenders.
“We will be compliant by November 6 with the separation from adult prisoners,” Bush told lawmakers. “Government had allocated funds in the temporary budget to allow work at HMP Northward for the separation of juveniles,” he said but noted that there would be no separate facility at HMP Fairbanks, where female prisoners are held.
Bush explained that, at present, there is just one young offender being held in HMP Northward. His colleague, Dorine Whittaker, explained that other juveniles have been detained elsewhere, such as the Bonaventure boys home and other secure homes, as the courts are now well aware of the problem of sending young offenders to the main prison. There are estimated to be around 35 young people in need of secure accommodation.
Concerns were raised by the independent MLA for North Side, Ezzard Miller, over the latest developments.
“It appears this is an arbitrary situation and I encourage the government to address this appropriately,” he said, adding that it was disappointing, having been told that the young offenders specialist centre was needed, that government was now scrambling to house young people who were in trouble, after abandoning earlier plans and wasting $1.3 million of public funds.
His independent colleague for East End, Arden McLean, also queried whether the construction of another facility at the main prison would work as Eagle House, the existing young offenders section of HMP Northward, has already lost its designation. This section is now being used to house category C adult offenders because of the over-crowded conditions at the main prison. He said that young offenders should be housed as far away from Northward as possible but predicted that it would not be long before the new add-on building would also be housing adults.
Deputy Premier Moses Kirkconnell agreed that this was not ideal but pointed out that the new government had inherited the problem, and the plan to build a stand-alone facility at HMP Northward was thebest short term solution that government could come up with to meet the Bill of Rights requirement until it found a way to develop an more suitable centre on the Fairbanks site.
Cayman signs up to exchange more tax information
(CNS Business): The Cayman Islands Government has taken another step towards increased transparency regarding the country’s offshore financial services sector. Local officials have formally asked the United Kingdom to extend its membership in the OECD-Council of the Europe Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters to the Cayman Islands. The move comes with the backing of the industry as Cayman continues down the road towards more automatic change of information, in line with global trends. Read more and comment on CNS Business
Cops net another suspect for burglaries in GT
(CNS): A 27-year-old man has been charged with two counts of burglary, the RCIPS stated in a short release on Thursday morning. The man was arrested and charged in connection with two residential burglaries in Bedrock Circle and Mangrove Avenue in June of this year. The man was expected to appear in court Thursday. This follows the charging of 37-year-old Courtney Johnston, who appeared in court Tuesday relating to four commercial burglaries at Cayman Cabana, Uncle Bills, Kirk Marine and The Wharf restaurant. 40-year-old Sarah Elizabeth Day was also charged with one count of burglary at an apartment on Courts Road in July.
Although the RCIPS has claimed a fall in serious crime, it continues to battle with a rate of more than two break-ins a day, in particular in the George Town area.
CIG reports on first 99 days
(CNS): A self review of the PPM's first quarter at the helm of government covers a variety of achievements claimed by the new administration, from a re-drafting of the explosives law to a transparent policy regarding duty concessions. In a clear and concise easy to follow document, the government lists some promising new initiatives as well as a number of developments, from the UK's approval of its new four year fiscal plan to the restraint on expenditure over the last three months in the public sector. In the introduction the premier said that government had worked diligently to bring back stability since it was elected, starting with the restoration of confidence in government from the UK and the local business community
“Enhanced confidence in Cayman will assist us in our other priority — ensuring a vibrant economy so that Caymanians can secure jobs today and into the future,” McLaughlin said.
Admitting there was a lot to do, he said the PPM government had made great strides, especially with the UK accepting the multi-year budget framework. “We are able to put behind us the uncertainty and anxiety that has attended the budget process over the past four years,” he stated.
The premier also pointed to a number of other areas of controversy that the new administration had been working on. “We have tackled difficult areas like the Nation Building Fund, including the scholarship programme, as well as concerns with certain Government authorities head on; seeking to improve what was a bad situation.
"We have successfully pursued several initiatives relating to jobs and apprenticeship programmes to ensure that Caymanians have opportunities forjobs. We have reopened discussions with the Dart Group and good progress is being made on a variety of issues, including waste management,” he said.
According to the report, the Dart Group is still involved in talks with government regarding the George Town landfill on site, as well as continuing negotiations over the NRA agreement.
A scrap metal removal contract was signed with a local company that has generated CI$250,000 for government with the sale of 5,000 tons of scrap metal, which will be removed. Three new rear loader garbage trucks have been ordered and a 40-foot container load of various types of hazardous waste was also successfully shipped to Florida, in accordance with the USA regulations, for the first time in many years.
The report reveals that the National Conservation Law will be brought to the Legislative Assembly before the end of this year.
Before the year end, Cabinet will also bring the Commission for Standards in Public Life Bill, which covers a wide range of critical areas for good governance, including procurement, appointments to statutory authorities and government company boards, a new Register of Interests Law and setting standards for the behaviour of public servants.
Government has also agreed to an amendment to the Summary Jurisdiction Law to introduce a code of conduct for Justices of the Peace and training. Regulations have been drafted and a training programme is has been established for a Police Public Complaints Commission
“The Government has agreed to set up a commission that will act as an independent civilian oversight body for the Police and will receive and order an investigation of any complaint made by a member of the public against a police officer and or civil servant acting under the auspices of the police. Amendment to the Police Law 2010 to establish the Commission will be taken to the next session of the House,” the report states.
The Cabinet Office has begun the process of reviewing Cabinet’s Guidelines and a revised Code of Conduct for Cabinet. The report covers the economy, jobs, immigration, the Sister Islands culture, housing and numerous other issues that the government has turned its hand to since it was sworn in on 29 May.
“I reiterate that while we have done much in the first 99 days, there is much more to do, but I already feel a renewed sense of optimism in, and for, the Cayman Islands,” the premier stated.
McLaughlin was expected to formerly deliver the 99 day report on Thursday in the Legislative Assembly. The 100 day mark comes on Friday, coinciding with the arrival of the new governor, as well as the premier’s birthday.
CNS Note: Earlier information in this article and contained in the report below regarding a reduction in CUC bills is understood to have been detailed inaccurately by officials. CNS is awaiting an update from government and the ERA about the reality of a potential credit to CUC customers and a future rate reduction.
See full report below.
Vote in the CNS poll: How do you rate the PPM administration after the first 100 days?
Archer tidies up UDP appropriations
(CNS): Finance Minister Marco Archer led the Legislative Assembly's Finance Committee in a fiscal tidy up on Wednesday. Archer brought four supplementary appropriation bills to the LA to reshuffle the money that had been allocated during the four budgets presided over by the previous UDP administration. During the debate, which focused on what appeared to be personal grudges rather than the details of the bills, the magnitude of the break between the new PPM government and its former independent allies became apparent as the back and forth between the benches became increasingly prickly. Archer, however, pressed on as chair of the committee in an effort to straighten out the public books in accordance with the Public Management and Finance Law.
He emphasised that the exercise had nothing to do with new spending but to address figures in government spending over the last four years, comparing what was budgeted to what was spent and adjusting the lawful budget appropriation where necessary.
Objections were raised by North Side MLA Ezzard Miller as he pointed out that the bills did not meet the constitutional requirement of 21 days notice, even though they were far from urgent. The independent member noted how frequently the new premier had joined him in complaints when he was sitting on the opposition benches about the previous premier’s habit of doing the same thing. He urged the new government not to go down the road of abusing parliament during its tenure. He said that as these bills were unconstitutional, he was reluctant to take part in the cleaning up exercise.
East End MLA Arden McLean also noted that while the government had brought a budget tidy-up for the fiscal years from 2010 to 2013, the controversial year of 2009 — the last year of the previous PPM administration — which had allegedly ended with an $81 million deficit rather than the $29 million that the Cabinet had expected, was not among the bills. McLean said it was time to settle that issue and ensure that the true figure, good or bad, was revealed.
McLean said if the UDP leader was going to continue to use that to beat all those who had been a part of that PPM government, as he had been one of them, he wanted to know the truth.
During the very short debate on the bills the premier urged the opposition benches to work with the government. He admitted that government had failed to meet the 21 day notice period but members had had the bills for a week, which was considerably longer that they had enjoyed during the previous administration for most of that government’s proposed legislation.
McLaughlin said he would be striving hard to comply with the rules, but given the context and the issues of being voted into office just as a new budget was required, it was impossible for finance staff to have prepared the bills any sooner. But the tidying up exercise needed to be done before another full budget was delivered later this month.
“We could have ignored this as they let it go for four years,” he said, referring to the last government, “but given the state of government finances and the criticisms about management, we felt it was necessary to bring this to the attention of Finance Committee and the wider public.”
McLaughlin said it was easy for Miller to complain but the government was playing the hand it was dealt. Once the budget was sorted, he would be working on a legislative timetable and prioritising laws to get through, so they would not wind up with emergencies bills being short of the notice period. He said it may happen sometimes but he urged all members “not to abdicate” their responsibility of attending to the “people’s business” that they, as MLAs, were all asked to do.
McLaughlin admitted that he had objected to the management of the House many times but had never let that get in the way of his contribution or his duty to carry out the scrutiny of government business, which was the duty of all members. He urged the members not to fight over the technical issues and save it for the substantive matters.
“I believe in order, principle and procedure and we will do everything to operate within the rules but we are asking for indulgence on this occasion because of the situation,” he said. “The country doesn’t want to see this back and forth so I have striven up until today to have an inclusive government and give everyone here opportunity to make a difference.
“I will continue with the principle of the out-stretched hand to colleagues. If it is slapped aside, I can’t do anything about that, but this administration is not about that,” the premier said, accusing the independent members of sitting on talk shows and slagging government but not doing anything. “The people have rejected that,” he said, as he urged members to “stop the bickering” that was already surfacing and put aside any self-interest and game playing.
During his contribution, the East End member was clearly outraged as he took aim at his former colleague, the premier. He said he had heard the cries many times from the previous premier and accused McLaughlin of using the parliamentary forum to put the blame on the opposition when it had been the government that started the games after the election.
His efforts had been to try and ensure the UDP could never rise again but he was “rejected”, he said, making it clear he was affronted by what happened in the wake of the election, when the PPM had invited Rivers to the Cabinet and when both he and Miller had tried to block the opposition leader’s appointment to the Public Accounts Committee. McLean said McKeeva Bush should have been cast out into the “political wilderness” and not placed on such an important committee as PAC.
He said he had tried to help, but in the end the responsibility lies on the government benches for the management of its affairs.
“It doesn’t lie here,” he said, indicating the opposition. He said he had a responsibility to do what was best for Cayman but not at the behest of personal likes and dislikes. He said he was not there to “cow-tow to anybody”, stating the Legislative Assembly building was not a church but a house of politics.
The East End member took umbrage with the premier, calling him selfish, as he (McLean) had given his entire life to the country. “I spent over ten years with him as a member of a party. You’d think he would pick up the phone and call,” he said, clearly angry over the PAC appointments.
“Selfishness? He doesn’t understand the meaning of the word … You accuse me of something that didn’t happen and when you say I am selfish, you can’t expect me to sit back asthough someone sutured my tongue to top of my mouth,” McLean added, during a contribution, which exposed the real size of the rift between the two former Cabinet colleagues.
Manderson remains on run for three weeks
(CNS): There is still no sign of Marcus Manderson, the 25-year-old son of multiple escapee, Steve Manderson, despite being on the run alone now for almost a week. It is more than threeweeks since Manderson escaped from Northward with his father and fellow inmate Chadwick Dale by cutting through the prison’s perimeter fence. Last week, the lead investigator in the manhunt,Detective Chief Inspector Malcolm Kay, called on the younger Manderson to give himself up, as he believed the young prisoner was living rough after his father was recaptured. Dale had already been rounded up a week after the break-out, which happened on 14 August.
Kay had said time was running out for Manderson, but there is still no sign of the young man. His father was rounded up in the Frank Sound area and Dale around Run Point, and it is understood that searches are still focused in the area, but the police are asking residents to remain vigilant.
Manderson is serving a mandatory ten year sentence for the possession of an unlicensed firearm after he was recently convicted of attempting to throw away a modified flare gun after being chased by police.
“It’s clear that the men have been living rough and we believe that they have stayed together since the breakout. Marcus is now out there on his own. He will be tired and feeling vulnerable. He must know that it’s only a matter of time before he too is recaptured," Kay said, adding that the escapee may not have access to food or water
“I would ask property owners and residents to report any suspicious activity or thefts from their premises," he said.
The three men escaped from HMP Northward just six weeks after the arrival from the UK of the new prison boss, corrections veteran Neil Lavis.
It is not yet clear if the local authorities intend to conduct a public enquiry into how three inmates, all convicted of violent offences, including (in Steve Manderson’s case) murder, managed to spring themselves from the facility.
Anyone who has any information which could assist the manhunt is asked to contact their local police station. Any sightings of Marcus Manderson should be reported immediately to 911.
Governor arrives via CAL Friday morning
(CNS):The new governor will arrive in the Cayman Islands to take up her new job at 11:15 on Friday morning on Cayman Airways. She will be met by the premier and other dignitaries on the tarmac at Owen Roberts International Airport. Helen Kilpatrick will then inspect a guard-of-honour before driving to Government House, her new home on Seven Mile Beach. She will be sworn into office at the Legislative Assembly at 2pm. After that, Kilpatrick will be attending a special welcome reception from 6:30pm at Pedro St James. Kilpatrick is not only the first woman to take up the post of governor in Cayman but also the first from outside of the diplomatic corps. A financial expert, Kilpatrick joins the FCO from the UK’s home Office.