The Agencies and Programs series (7 linear feet) contains materials from 1971 to 1988 which document the interaction of the Coordinating Agency with direct care substance abuse service providers within Livingston and Washtenaw counties. These materials are arranged alphabetically by program title and the majority of the records pertain to funded programs, and primarily consist of contracts and budgets, correspondence, licensing documents and review/audit records. Reports, manuals, plans and resource guides are also present in this series. The Ann Arbor Community Center, Child and Family Services, and the Washtenaw Council on Alcoholism are agencies about which there is fairly comprehensive documentation.
The history of heroin treatment in Washtenaw County is illustrated through the records of three programs: Octagon House, the Community Mental Health Treatment Facility (CMHTF), and the Child and Family Services Drug Treatment Program. The Octagon House program began in 1971 supported by funding from a Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA) Grant. Octagon House became independent of the Mental Health Center in 1975 since the provisions of PA 56 require that an organization either serve a coordination function or provide direct services. A series of problems developed at the House including; noncompliance with state and federal regulations, financial irregularities, conflict of interest, and falsification of client records. These problems led to the closing of Octagon House and a waiver of the restrictions of PA 56 so that the coordinating agency could provide services to former clients of the House. Treatment was provided by the CMHTF program under the direction of SACA from July 1979 until April 1980, at which time Child and Family Services (CFS) was determined to be appropriate to administer the program. In June 1982 CFS renamed the program the Child and Family Services Drug Treatment Program.