Gwendolyn Johnson, whose innovative drug rehabilitation program for pregnant and post-partum mothers became a national model, died of cancer Tuesday at her home in Hercules. She was 58.
Since 1991, Mrs. Johnson had been the head of Jelani House, a home for pregnant, drug-addicted mothers and their children that opened in the Bayview neighborhood and now has six centers. The program was started by Sherry Agnos after her husband, former Mayor Art Agnos, stopped in to see the crack babies on the neonatal ward at San Francisco General Hospital.
Jelani House, initially created to help addicted mothers give birth to healthy babies, broke the mold because it allowed women to keep their children with them while they were in treatment, said Margaret Gold, the agency director who reported to Mrs. Johnson for 13 years.
Historically, addiction treatment programs developed out of the effort to help single white male alcoholics, Gold said. In contrast, Jelani House offers comprehensive services to men, women, spouses and extended families, including on-site nurseries, preschools and toddler rooms.
Jelani House opened with slots for 16 women. Today, the organization has 60 residents and 70 outpatient clients.
Mrs. Johnson, a small woman known for her energy, was the program powerhouse from the beginning.
"I think she felt she really made a difference, and of course there was alcoholism in her family. She saw the devastation it caused, and that also spurred her to work in this area," said Charles Johnson, her husband of 33 years.
"She was good at it and she thrived on it. She knew women's services and what worked and didn't work," Gold said. "It was her calling. This was her baby."
Mrs. Johnson was loved for her sweet and generous temperament -- but if employees made mistakes at the expense of clients, they would hear about it, Gold said. "My God, when she would get mad at you, you would you feel it for days."
Sonia Brewster, a former Jelani House resident, has worked at the organization as a residential counselor for a decade. Her daughter, now 12, was born during her stay at Jelani House.
"She helped me believe that there are people who work in this field who care about people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol," Brewster said about Mrs. Johnson.
"You could feel her being so real. The energy was so powerful -- the care and the concern and how she really wanted us to bring in clean and sober babies, and it was our choice."
Mrs. Johnson was born in Oakland and met Charles Johnson, her second husband, while she was working as a waitress on the east side of the city. She later worked at a group home for boys in Fairfield and at a drug treatment center in Oakland. While working at Jelani House, she earned a master's degree in counseling and psychology from Sacramento Theological Seminary and Bible College.
In addition to her husband, Mrs. Johnson is survived by three daughters, Rhonda Conley of Oakland, Pamela Conley of Pinole, and Stacy Johnson of Hercules; and six grandchildren.
Interment took place Friday at Rolling Hills Memorial Park in El Sobrante.
