They checked in for drug treatment and allegedly got sent out for what amounted to slave labor instead.
Residents of the taxpayer-funded J-CAP program in Queens were dispatched to the Upper East Side home of program manager Murray Kaplan to do cleaning and to his Hamptons house for yard work, former J-CAP staffers told The Post.
One patient, a veteran who lived at the treatment facility, was said to have made regular visits to Kaplan’s apartment and was aghast when she was asked to hand-wash lingerie for his wife, according to the former staffer.
“She came to me very upset, crying,” the source said.
Another patient, also a vet, told The Post that Kaplan asked him to rake leaves at his Westhampton home. He said Kaplan showed his gratitude by throwing a few hot dogs on the grill and giving him cash for a day’s worth of work.
“I wouldn’t consider that pay — $20 and a pack of cigarettes,” the patient said.
Kaplan allegedly asked for more “favors,” including moving clothing from Manhattan to the Staten Island home of Joseph Strasburg, head of the Rent Stabilization Association.
Strasburg refused to comment.
Kaplan, the court liaison for J-CAP, denied he had anyone work at his homes or for Strasburg. He said he does bring the agency’s clients to his weekend retreat but only to enjoy the pool or picnics.
“We have plenty of help in the house. We have gardeners. Certainly, nobody came over to do any work,” Kaplan said.
The state Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, which oversees drug-treatment centers, launched an investigation into the allegations after hearing of them from The Post.
“All OASAS contract agencies are required to have policy and procedures that address a multitude of issues ranging from fiscal guidelines to ethical standards. In the event a provider does not comply, we investigate and address accordingly,” an agency spokeswoman said. “You have identified issues which we will now investigate.”
The allegations surfaced as J-CAP — which stands for Just Caring About People — closed its biggest facility and shuttered other programs, The Post has learned.
The treatment program, co-founded in the early 1970s by City Councilman Thomas White Jr., provides inpatient care for drug addicts, many of them sent there by the court system. OASAS provided $5.2 million in funding in 2012, records show.
Diane Gonzalez, a former drug addict-turned-counselor, was appointed to head the organization after White’s 2010 death from cancer. She now presides over a crumbling empire.
“To our knowledge, our staff do not have clients visiting their homes,” Gonzalez said, but she did note that Kaplan hosts a pool outing at his house.