Officials at Clearbrook and representatives of the drug and alcohol treatment agencies of Luzerne and Lackawanna counties signed contracts that designated Clearbrook as a provider of government-funded rehabilitation services for low-income and indigent residents of both counties.

The fact that no one seemed to notice the violation until it was pointed out by The Citizens' Voice indicates that no one at Clearbrook or in either county bothered to closely read those documents, despite the fact that Clearbrook was collecting more than $500,000 in government money every year.

To Luzerne County's credit, it immediately suspended referrals to Clearbrook once a county solicitor determined contract violations had occurred. To Clearbrook's credit, the board members whose continued service would have denied some of the county's neediest citizens access to Clearbrook's services immediately resigned.