EOB changes policies at drug center

Thursday, April 25, 2002 | 9:23 a.m.

In response to conflict of interest and bias allegations, the Economic Opportunity Board, a nonprofit community development agency, changed the inpatient intake policy at its drug treatment center Wednesday.

As a result, the treatment center will take over the assessments of inmates from the Las Vegas Valley's four jails that help determine whether they will be admitted.

The treatment provided to inmates is usually part of a sentence or a condition of parole, and admittance into the program can affect how long an inmate remains behind bars.

In addition, the center's clinical director, Brenda Mediola, no longer will be authorized to work outside the treatment center. Mendiola co-owned Freedom Enterprises, one of at least three companies that conducted assessments for the nonprofit for a fee.

An investigation found that Freedom Enterprises, which had the highest price, did the "lion's share" of the assessments, said Michael Husted, assistant director for the nonprofit, who led the investigation.

After hearing the results of Husted's investigation, members of the nonprofit's board of directors decided that the treatment center itself would perform the assessments from now on -- at no charge to the inmates.

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