Norwig Debye-Saxinger, 2015 January 7

Containers:

Box 1

Scope and content:

Debye-Saxinger tells of his involvement with Rockefeller's Narcotics Control Commission beginning in 1971, and the state's effort through that agency to contract out the provision of direct services for addicts to third party agencies. Phoenix House's practice of "hiding" privately raised funds in sister organizations is discussed. He chronicles two major policy changes he helped orchestrate that were critical for Phoenix House-welfare checks could be signed over to a residential institution directly, and money from the sale of a facility owned by an institution could be reinvested within a year and not counted against funds provided by the state. He narrates a shift in addiction treatment from forming a part of the criminal justice system to a more medical issue. The waning of appreciation for the therapeutic community model affected both his and his colleague Julio Martinez's roles in state government and his role in Phoenix House in the ensuing decades.

Interview by Lance Thurner.

Biographical / historical:

Born in Germany but educated in the US, Norwig Debye-Saxinger joined the Nelson Rockefeller administration in 1971 as part of the Narcotics Addiction Control Commission, which he stayed with until 1992 through its many iterations. As part of the state government, Debye-Saxinger was responsible for much of the granting of state funds to addiction services agencies. He also played a critical role in adjusting key state policies that allowed Phoenix House (and others) to receive welfare checks directly from the state, which eased organizations' participation in the real estate market. While in Albany, Debye-Saxinger was Julio Martinez's assistant director for 10 years. In 1993 he began working for Phoenix House as a liaison with the state. Until the present, Debye-Saxinger has continued to aid Phoenix House in negotiating state regulation and licensing, and lobbying for important changes to the law, most notably, Governor David A. Paterson's changes to the Rockefeller Drug Laws in 2009.

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