COUNTYWIDE : Grand Opening Set for Women’s Shelter

Heritage House, the first shelter in Orange County for alcohol- and drug-addicted women and their children, will celebrate its grand opening Wednesday with a visit from California First Lady Gayle Wilson.

Located in Costa Mesa, Heritage House is actually a collection of eight houses capable of providing shelter for 48 women and children. The treatment program is sponsored by the Southeast Council of Alcoholism and Drug Problems Inc., which operates similar homes in Whittier and Long Beach. The Southeast Council decided to open a home here because many addicted women from Orange County were traveling to Los Angeles County in search of help, spokeswoman Lisa Markell said.

“These women need a place in their own area,” Markell said. “We think it’s really a crime that in a county the size of Orange there are not any recovery homes for women and their children.”

A counselor works with the children while the mothers attend Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings and other counseling programs. “Mom has her time to learn about her addiction, so while mom is growing and changing, the child is with her,” Heritage House Director Nancy Walker said. “It is such a secure feeling for the child who has never had a mom who is stable.”

The most important element of the program, Walker said, is keeping the family together while its members learn a new way of life. She said problems sometimes arise when parents go through recovery programs that do not include their children. In many cases, she said, the children have difficulty adjusting to the parent’s new behavior, she said.

“It’s a gradual program,” she said. “It’s like you’re starting all over again.”

The program has been accepting clients since December, but the grand opening was held off until the Southeast Council could acquire all the homes on the lot. It was launched with a $438,000 grant from the Orange County Health Care Agency and private donations, Markell said.

During an average six-month stay, a client undergoes therapy for her addiction and also receives job training and assistance finding permanent housing.

The Southeast Council initially sought approval from the city of Orange to operate a recovery house for women and children at the historic Royer Mansion but was opposed by business owners who argued that the program did not belong on a commercial strip and that it would displace 14 businesses. The City Council rejected the proposal last July.