New Perspectives Behavioral Health Systems to hold Press Conference at Hennepin County Government Center

MINNEAPOLIS - June 19, 2014 - PRLog -- New Perspectives Behavioral Health Systems and its founder, John Woods is calling a press conference to take place at 1 p.m. on Friday, June 20 in the Hennepin County Government Center (skyway level) located at 300 S 6th St, Minneapolis, MN 55487.

John Woods and New Perspectives Behavioral Health Systems are at the forefront demanding that Hennepin County be fair with its referrals and approvals for CD treatment to black owned and operated CD businesses, especially for African Americans who sometimes do not see positive outcomes in non-culturally specific treatment facilities in Hennepin County and around the state.

Woods and supporters invite stakeholders and community members to stand in solidarity with New Perspectives Behavioral Health Systems. New Perspectives Behavioral Health Systems is a multi-cultural CD treatment center, but also provides several treatment models that have been successful for African Americans and many mainstream clients who thank founder John Woods for a one-of-kind experience that in most cases will lead to the path of a great life.

“Those folk downtown [Hennepin County] are trying to put me out of business. I see the growing crack and heroin epidemic in the county and I’ve sent letters to every one of the Hennepin County Commissioners. To this date, I never got one phone call to inquire about my concerns. Now we the people have to take our concerns to the front door of Hennepin County” said Woods.  Woods also says, “They [Hennepin County] did not keep their word about letting New Perspectives into the jails and hospitals. Our goal at New Perspectives is to break the cycle of addiction. It would appear that someone is using a human life as a cash crop.”

Woods, who started a petition over a month ago, is set to deliver the petition signed and supported by over 1,000 people. Woods says, “We are demanding that Hennepin County develop a fair system of distribution to local minority owned chemical dependency treatment facilities.” In Hennepin County over 4000 people need, or were court ordered for CD treatment. Of that number, 1,361 African American individuals sought CD services. New Perspectives received only 48 approvals (6.5 percent) in 2012.

Woods alleges the challenge occurs when forms of institutionalized racism and collusion are plainly evident by the numbers of approvals to the majority-White owned and operated organizations: Park Avenue received 237 African American approvals (32 percent); and Recovery Resource Center (RRC) received 158 African American approvals (21.5 percent).  This exemplifies the many reports about Minnesota and its racial divide in equity.

If you would like to view the progress of New Perspectives Behavioral Health Systems stacks up to other Minnesota multi-cultural facilities, check out the Chemical Dependency Provider Performance Measures 2012 (PDF), page 461 (Link: https://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS-6885-ENG).