MILWAUKEE (AP) -- The woman who helped build Meta House into a national model for treating substance abuse in women and their children has retired.
Francine Feinberg came to Milwaukee from Brooklyn as a college student to study ballet. Instead of becoming a famous dancer, she answered an ad for an executive director and wound up running Meta House for 29 years.
When Feinberg joined, the center was a small residential treatment facility with 11 beds, one other staffer and a budget of $110,000. Today, Meta House has a $5.5 million budget and a staff of 80.
Feinberg decided early on that the center should take not just women but also their children. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports (http://bit.ly/RuoBu2 ) Meta House led the way in tailoring substance abuse treatment to women and their families.
