San Mateo County program rewards meth addicts who can stay clean
A pilot program in San Mateo County is testing out a new way of treating drug addiction, rewarding methamphetamine users who continue to stay clean with gift cards.
Daniel Maldonado, who's recovering from a meth addiction, is a part of the program through substance-abuse treatment nonprofit Our Common Ground.
It's allowing him to do something he hasn't been able to do for the majority of his life. Walk into a store, pick something out and then walk up to the register to pay for it.
"Being able to have extra help without having to steal nothing or having to worry about nothing. Just going to the store and getting it, it's a plus," said Maldonado about how the gift cards have impacted him so far. "You don't have to worry about going to jail."
The concept was developed based on scientific research that shows rewards help stimulant users like Maldonado recover more effectively than conventional treatment alone.
Maldonado has been clean for more than a year, but he used for a long time. It changed the trajectory of his life.
"I've been using since I was 9," said Maldonado, remembering the first time he got high. "In 2008, I started slamming. My hands, all the track marks. I did a lot of time behind the walls. At the age of 14 I ended up getting six years."
He was in prison multiple times after that, and lost contact with his two daughters. But by fully immersing himself in OCG's treatment programs, he's turning his life around.
He says the gift card program is just one more incentive to keep him going. Over the course of 24 weeks, each week a participant tests clean, they get a $25 gift card for up to a total of $600.
"You can get Home Depot cards, you can get Walmart cards," said Maldonado. "Hygiene and clothes without having to go steal it."
It's a federally funded treatment strategy for methamphetamine addicts using Medicaid funds. The Department of Health Care Services pays for the gift cards. The cost is a far cry from more than $100,000 a year the Vera Institute of Justice estimates it costs to jail someone for a year.
OCG Director of Operations Chris Morales says the nonprofit is seeing success.
"It's had great results so far," said Morales. "All of the clients who have enrolled who met the eligibility criteria have done very, very well. They're all testing clean over 90% or even 95% of the time."
OCG has been running the program since July. So far about 30 people have enrolled, with most successful sticking with it. They hope to have more in the future.
Maldonado says he's grateful for the program and plans to continue on this path, and would even recommend it to others.
"I won't go back to that other life. I'm so happy where I'm at right now." said Maldonado.
Similar pilot programs exist in several other California counties, including Alameda, Santa Clara and San Francisco. The federal approval to fund the program lasts through 2026.