Posey County township trustee first to drug test welfare seekers

In a bold move this month, Black Township in Posey County became the first Indiana Township to drug test all applicants for emergency township assistance. The immediate goal is to keep taxpayers from funding drug use, said Black Township Trustee Lindsay Suits.

"Our long term goal is to break the cycle of dependency," Suits said. "It is time for us to stop having great ideas and stopping there."

Indiana Townships assistance programs provide residents with the basic essentials for life when all else fails — food, clothing, housing, water, electricity. Usually this means paying past-due Vectren or water bills, Suits said.

The purpose for township assistance is to help people through emergencies so they can become self sufficient, Suits said. People using drugs won't find work and most employers drug test all potential hires, she said.

The push to begin drug testing came first from Black Township's three-person elected board. Suits held off for the first two years in office, then took the plunge this year.

In the three weeks since Suits began drug testing, the Township has run more than 35 tests. Of those, about 30 percent came back positive for either amphetamines, opiates, THC, cocaine, PCP or K2 spice.

Anyone who tests positive can reapply if they participate in a substance abuse treatment program at Stepping Stone. Suits said she would even consider paying for someone to complete the program out of the Township's budget. But so far, no one who has tested positive has agreed to enter rehab.

"A lot of times, people find out we're drug testing, they don't even come in," Suits said. "I was on the phone with a lady today, she said, 'I'm not going to come in because I'll test positive.'"

Many of the people who apply for Black Township assistance are on Welfare or other forms of state assistance, Suits said. The township does not share the test results with any other agency, she added.

It isn't clear if Suits pilot program is the start of a trend among township trustees. However, drug testing is not feasible in all Indiana Townships, said Knight Township Trustee Kathryn Martin.

"We would not be able to afford them," Martin said. "There's no way. It would take away from the services that are needed. I've got to worry about burying people, keeping lights on and keeping people in homes. And if I'm spending money on drug testing them, that money has to come from somewhere."

Knight Township encompasses the southeast side of Evansville and Vanderburgh County, and has dozens of people applying for emergency assistance every day, Martin said. Her township conducts an "extensive investigation" before granting applicants emergency funds, already, she added.

In Black Township, Suits budgeted $12,000 for drug testing this year, plus another $10,000 to pay for the hours the staff spend administering the tests. The township's annual budget is $317,000. It generally has around 1,000 people apply for assistance a year.

Suits said she has not had to raise taxes or cut other programs to pay for the drug tests. The former trustee did not use all the tax dollars coming into the office, she said.

"I'm passionate about this," Suits said. "It's important to keep trying to help. This is who I am. I'm going to make the ground shake a little."

But Suits said she has been "getting a lot of heat" from some community members who disagree with the drug tests.

The question she hears most often: "Are you really going to turn a family down for drugs if they have kids?"

Suits paused, gazing toward the front wall of her office.

"If they had kids, does it break our heart? Absolutely, it would break our hearts," she said.

But there are many reasons a person applying for emergency assistance might be turned down other than a positive drug test, she said. If they are caught spending money on nonessential items, gambling or refuse to work, to name a few.

"Should kids be the stopping point at all levels, or just the drugs?"

Suits paused again.

"This is my third year" as trustee, she said. "And every year, I redefine the definition of 'help.'"

Does help mean giving a drug addict money, knowing they might use it to continue their habit?

Suits decided it did not, but it's a question being debated nationwide.

Seven states have passed laws requiring some form of drug screening before residence can receive state assistance: Arizona, Florida, Missouri, Utah, Georgia, Tennessee and Oklahoma. In 2012, at least 28 other states put forward legislation to that affect, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Last year, a bill that would have instituted random drug testing for people who apply for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, TANF, passed the Indiana House of Representatives, then did not receive a hearing in the Senate.

The bill is back again this year, and supporters hope the Senate will give it a hearing.

"We want to make sure that recipients of tax payer's money is going to people who are using it wisely, and really need it," said Rep. Wendy McNamara. "The concern would be providing aid for someone who is trying to sustain a habit. It's received a lot of attention, folks in our area are encouraging this to be passed."