News from NASADAD
- NASADAD presents to Governors’ Criminal Justice Policy Advisors
- NASADAD attends House Energy and Commerce Committee – Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing on opioid issues
- NASADAD attends Medicaid Coalition Meeting on the federal Medicaid budget and Medicaid expansion
- NASADAD attends Alliance for Health Reform briefing on innovation in the private and public sectors
Around the Agencies
- New SAMHSA report reveals increased rates of heroin use over the past decade
- SAMHSA now accepting applications for the FY 2015 Program Supplements for Violence Intervention to Enhance Lives grant program
- SAMHSA now accepting applications for FY 2015 Statewide Peer Networks for Recovery and Resiliency Grants
- HHS now accepting applications for FY 2015 Community Interoperability and Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement Program grants
In the News
- New study finds high rates of missed diagnoses for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
- Carolyn Hardin named interim CEO of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals
- Breaking Addiction Act of 2015 introduced to eliminate the IMD exclusion and increase State flexibility for substance use disorder treatment
- HIV outbreak in southeastern Indiana linked to oxymorphone injection
News from NASADAD
NASADAD presents to Governors’ Criminal Justice Policy Advisors
Rob Morrison, Executive Director presented to a committee of the National Governors Association on Thursday, April 23rd. The committee is made up of Governors’ Criminal Justice Policy Advisors. Mr. Morrison provided information from NASADAD’s 2014 member inquiry on State responses to prescription drugs and heroin abuse, as well as information on NASADAD’s priorities and criminal justice examples. Policy Advisors from 11 States participated on the call: AL, AZ, KY, NC, NH, NJ, NM, OR, TN, VA, and WV.
NASADAD attends House Energy and Commerce Committee – Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing on opioid issues
Rob Morrison, Executive Director, Colleen Haller, Public Policy Associate, and Brian Denten, Public Policy intern attended the hearing. The hearing featured testimony from practitioners and researchers in the substance use disorder field on the increased prevalence of opioid use disorders. Both Representatives and panelists discussed the importance of determining the efficacy of treatment services such as medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and others in achieving recovery. Increasing parity for mental health and substance use disorders, training physicians on prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) usage, and improving interstate interoperability with PDMPs were also discussed. Chairman Murphy (R-PA) concluded the hearing with a summary of discussed topics and a reaffirmation of his commitment to rethinking the government’s approach to substance use disorders. View the background memo for the meeting here, and the video of the hearing here.
Panelists:
- Robert L. DuPont, M.D.; President, Institute for Behavior and Health
- Marvin D. Seppala, M.D.; Chief Medical Officer, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
- Laurence M. Westreich, M.D.; President, American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
- Anna Lembke, M.D.; Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University Medical Center Psychiatry Department
- Adam Bisaga, M.D.; Columbia Universal Medical Center, NYS Psychiatric Instiute
- Patrice Harris, M.D.; American Medical Association
NASADAD attends Alliance for Health Reform briefing on innovation in the private and public sectors
Brian Denten, Public Policy Intern attended the meeting. Panelists discussed ongoing innovations in health care delivery, and focused on the cost savings gained from shifts toward alternative care organizations versus fee-for-service models. Several panelists identified the increase of clinical analytics as a critical area of growth for the health care industry. The panel concluded with a discussion of current and future methods for identifying innovations in both the private and public sectors, and identified barriers that prolong successful implementation of new innovations including cultural resistance in the health care industry and inefficient regulation processes.
NASADAD attends Medicaid Coalition Meeting on the federal Medicaid budget and Medicaid expansion
Brian Denten, Public Policy Intern attended the meeting hosted by Families USA. The meeting focused on the federal budget and potential threats to Medicaid and the ongoing process of States participating in the Medicaid expansion. Speakers from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) discussed the recent implementation process for Medicaid expansion via waivers in Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, and Michigan. CBPP noted that these States allowed some or all of their expansion population to enroll in private coverage offered through the health insurance marketplaces. Speakers went on to discuss the federal government’s efforts to scale back State proposals to limit certain health benefits, and the federal government’s rejection of State proposals to condition Medicaid eligibility on participation in work search activities.
Panelists:
- Ellen Nissenbaum; Senior Vice President for Government Affairs, CBPP
- Judy Solomon, Vice President for Health Policy, CBPP
- Jessica Schubel, Senior Policy Analyst, CBPP
- Patrick Willard, Field Director, Families USA
Around the Agencies
New SAMHSA report reveals increased rates of heroin use over the past decade
A new Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) report released this week revealed growing rates of heroin use over the past decade in the United States. The number of people aged 12 or older receiving treatment for heroin use in the past year has risen from 277,000 people in 2002 to 526,000 people in 2013. SAMHSA warns this drastic increase may stretch the capacity of treatment providers to deliver quality care. The study further notes that the data does not support anecdotal evidence that efforts to prevent illegal misuse of prescription opioids have led more people to use heroin. In 2013, 169,000 people began using heroin for the first time; matching first-time users recorded in most years since 2002.
SAMHSA now accepting applications for the FY 2015 Program Supplements for Violence Intervention to Enhance Lives grant program
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is now accepting applications for the FY 2015 Program Supplements for violence Intervention to Enhance Lives grant program. Grant funding should be used to help grantees from the Targeted Capacity Expansion: Substance Abuse Treatment for Racial/Ethnic Minority Women at High Risk for HIV/AIDS (TCE – HIV: Minority Women) expand their programs. The Violence Intervention to Enhance Lives (VITEL) portion of the supplemental grant program should be used to upgrade existing substance use disorder treatment services by including intimate partner violence (IPV) screening. Grantees will be awarded an anticipated amount of $70,000 per year. Applications are due by Monday, June 22, 2015.
SAMHSA now accepting applications for FY 2015 Statewide Peer Networks for Recovery and Resiliency grants
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is now accepting applications for the FY 2015 Statewide Peer Networks for Recovery and Resiliency grant program. Grant funding should be used to create and enhance Statewide mental health and substance use disorder recovery networks to improve access to and the quality of treatment programs. Grantees will be awarded an anticipated amount of up to $100,000 for a 1 year period. Applications are due by Tuesday, June 23, 2015.
HHS now accepting applications for FY 2015 Community Interoperability and Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement Program grants
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is now accepting applications for FY 2015 Community Interoperability and Health Information Exchange Cooperative Agreement Program grants. Grant funding should be used to support and expand community efforts to improve the accessibility and use of health information. This program will also expand the number of non-eligible care providers to send, receive, find, and use electronic health information in an appropriate and standardized manner. ONC encourages applicants to propose projects that could be emulated in other communities, and are cross-jurisdictional, interstate, or regional in nature. Up to 10 community organizations, State or local government agencies, or other community groups will receive funding. Applications are due by June 15, 2015.
In the News
New study finds high rates of missed diagnoses for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
A new study published in Pediatrics has discovered high rates of missed diagnoses for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). The study examined a sample of foster or adoptive care children, finding that 86 percent of cases with FASD diagnoses were unrecognized (80%) or misdiagnosed (6%). This research suggests that health care providers need increased education to better recognize alcohol-related disorders in patients and provide proper screening and treatment options.
Carolyn Hardin named interim CEO of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals
Carolyn Hardin was named interim CEO of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) this past week. Carolyn will serve as interim CEO while the NADCP Board of Directors continues its search for a permanent replacement. Carolyn is temporarily leaving her position as Senior Director of the National Drug Court Institute (NCDI), where she has overseen the development of all training, technical assistance, and academic publications on behalf of NADCP for the past eight years.
Breaking Addiction Act of 2015 introduced to eliminate the IMD exclusion and increase State flexibility for substance use disorder treatment
The Breaking Addiction Act of 2015 was introduced this past week by Representatives Tim Ryan (D-OH), Marcia Fudge (D-OH), and Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) to eliminate the institutions for mental disease (IMD) exclusion and increase State flexibility for substance use disorder treatments. Current federal law prohibits Medicaid from matching payments for inpatient treatment facilities with more than 16 beds. The Breaking Addiction Act of 2015 would eliminate this exclusion, and allow States to facilitate reimbursements to IMD facilities with up to 60 beds. Read a FAQ about the bill here.
HIV outbreak in southeastern Indiana linked to oxymorphone injection
A recent HIV outbreak in a rural southeastern Indiana county has been linked to syringe-sharing partners injecting the prescription opioid oxymorphone. The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) has diagnosed HIV infection in 135 people in the county’s 4,200 person community. Investigators determined the average patient to be 35 years old and male. A small number of pregnant women are among those diagnosed. The ISDH notes that injection drug use in this county is a multi-generational activity, with up to three generations of a family injecting together. Indiana has worked with local health care providers and law enforcement officials to launch a public education campaign, short-term syringe exchange, and support for comprehensive medical care including HIV and hepatitis C treatment as part of its response to the outbreak.
Should you have any questions, or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact Robert Morrison, Executive Director, (202) 293-0090 or Colleen Haller, Public Policy Associate, at (202) 293-0090.