LifeSteps: Williamson Council on Alcohol and Drugs
LifeSteps: Williamson Council on Alcohol and Drugs
Written by Eric Pulsifer Friday, 03 October 2008
In 1978, the Williamson Council on Alcohol and Drugs was created with the simple goal of offering alcohol and drug abuse counseling and education.
The services at that point were basic, but as research has documented the importance of prevention and intervention in battling substance abuse, LifeSteps Executive Director Pat Chalaire said the group’s mission recently expanded to offer a wide variety of services for individuals and families affected by addiction.
“One of our focuses now is not just to help the individual but to focus on the whole family,” Chalaire said. “Everybody starts hurting when someone gets into abusing drugs or alcohol.”
Substance abuse frequently leads to numerous other problems and may be passed down to children, so Chalaire said any work to stop the abuse is a cost-effective strategy. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, every dollar spent on drug prevention programs can save as much as $10 by reducing treatment, health and legal costs.
Offering a combination of fee-for-service and free programs covered by donations and local and state funding, Chalaire said LifeSteps works with people regardless of their financial situation.
According to a 2006 Texas A&M University survey, 23 percent of Williamson County elementary and middle school students have tried alcohol, 12 percent of whom accessed it from home.
Chalaire said prevention in children is important because those who are exposed to drugs and alcohol at an early age are more likely to become dependent. LifeSteps has also assisted in and helped publicize police stings to limit minors’ access to alcohol.
Funding cuts have forced LifeSteps to cut back on some school programs, but Chalaire said they are hoping to get local support to get their message back into the classroom.
“We’re going to be depending more and more on foundation and local funding,” she said.
LifeSteps begins prevention education programs in elementary school and continues through middle school, teaching students about coping with peer pressure and using puppets to teach about the dangers of smoking.
LifeSteps began offering family services after being approached by family court judges looking for a place to handle supervised visitation north of Austin.
Rhonda Hohmann, Families in Transition coordinator, said besides on-site supervised visitation, LifeSteps offers adult classes on the effects of divorce on children and children’s prevention and coping programs.
“We want to go beyond supervised visits to help these parents develop healthy living skills,” Hohmann said.
Hohmann said visitations benefit the child by keeping the noncustodial parent in contact after a divorce.
“No matter what the parents have done, their children still love them and it's beneficial for the children to see both parents and bond with them,” Hohmann said.
Family movie night fundraiser
LifeSteps will celebrate its 30th anniversary Oct. 14 with a family movie night fundraiser including dinner, a puppet show and a live auction. Up for auction will be a six-night stay in a Colorado condo, a three-night stay in Port Aransas and 14 nights of pet boarding at the Pet Bungalow.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $5 for students and free for children 5 and under. Sponsorships are still available. For more information, call 869-2571 or visit www.lifestepscouncil.org.
Oct. 14: Family Night At The Movies, City Lights Theatres, 420 Wolf Ranch Parkway, Georgetown
- 5 p.m. Buffet and puppet show
- 6 p.m. Live auction
- 6:45 p.m. Movie: “Cheaper by the Dozen”
LifeSteps, 2111 N. Mays St., Round Rock, 246-9880, www.lifestepscouncil.org
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