FILLMORE : Drug Abuse Center Opens Branch Office

Palmer Drug and Alcohol Abuse Program will open its first satellite center in the county Friday in Fillmore with $7,500 of the city’s Community Development Block Grant funds. The nonprofit organization has counseled substance abusers and their families in the county from a base in Camarillo since 1980.

Executive Director Sergio Castellanos said the Fillmore center at 565 Sespe St. evolved from a counseling program begun at Fillmore High School 2 1/2 years ago. “We recognize there is a strong need in the area that has gone unmet for a long time, both for youths and their families,” Castellanos said Monday. “With our bilingual staff, we can meet that need.”

Castellanos said that the program has received strong community support and that he hopes to coordinate efforts with other youth programs in Fillmore, such as the new Boys and Girls Club. The satellite center will function initially as a drop-in facility where young people can stop to talk, play Ping-Pong or listen to music.

Counselor Ed Ramirez, who has been working with local high school students, will be in charge of the program. Initially, center hours will be from noon to 7 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Counseling groups and social activities are expected to build as word of the center spreads.

“A lot of the Fillmore kids have alcohol problems,” Castellanos said. While marijuana and crack cocaine are present in the community, he estimated that alcohol is a bigger issue for many Fillmore teens. “We’re also seeing an increase in psychedelics like LSD.”

Castellanos said parental involvement is a key part of the program and promised complete confidentiality for all participants.