Category Archives: Public View

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D.C. Update – February 1, 2016

News from the States

  • Ohio releases acute pain opioid prescribing guidelines

Around the Agencies

  • SAMHSA report confirms importance of Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant in wake of Medicaid expansion
  • CMS offers technical assistance for State agencies working to improve home and community-based services
  • SAMHSA releases updated version of opioid overdose prevention toolkit

In the News

  • Chuck Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections releases final report on criminal justice reform
  • Legal Action Center survey finds majority of Americans support expansion of substance use disorder treatment
  • High schools across the country move to offer opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone for free
  • White House names Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to lead new interagency effort on opioid epidemic

News from NASADAD

  • NASADAD releases FY 2016 Omnibus Appropriations Summary
  • NASADAD releases results of 2016 Public Policy Survey

News from the States

Ohio releases acute pain opioid prescribing guidelines
The Ohio Governor’s Cabinet Opiate Action Team, which includes Tracy Plouck, Director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, has released new opioid prescribing guidelines for acute pain. The guidelines highlight non-opioid treatment alternatives for acute and chronic pain conditions. They recommend that opioid pharmacologic treatment be reserved for severe medical conditions and used in conjunction with other types of therapy. The Governor’s Cabinet Opiate Action Team developed the new guidelines with the input of clinical professionals and healthcare providers as part of Ohio’s plan to reduce the misuse and overprescribing of opioid pain relievers.

View the new guidelines here.

Around the Agencies

SAMHSA report confirms importance of Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant in wake of Medicaid expansion
A Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) report released last week confirmed the importance of Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant funding in the wake of State Medicaid expansions. The report used Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) 2012 data to examine the insurance rates of individuals treated in State substance use disorder treatment facilities prior to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). SAMHSA found that “58.3 percent did not have health insurance, 25.6 percent had Medicaid coverage, and 16.0 percent had some other type of health insurance.” SAMHSA’s report asserts that it is unlikely that the State Medicaid expansions facilitated by the ACA will be able to cover all of the individuals without health insurance as of 2012. The report states that vulnerable populations, including the homeless and individuals within the criminal justice system, will continue to rely on public funding such as the SAPT Block Grant in order to receive substance use disorder treatment.

Read the full report here.

CMS offers technical assistance for State agencies working to improve home and community-based services
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a flyer describing the technical assistance available for State agencies working to improve home and community-based services (HCBS) last week. CMS has partnered with New Editions Consulting, Inc. to offer a wide variety of services to State agencies, including strategic planning, community integration, population targeting, and program implementation. CMS plans for the new technical services to help guide program development by clarifying CMS’s requirements for HCBS and related services.

View the services available here.

SAMHSA releases updated version of opioid overdose prevention toolkit
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released an updated version of their opioid overdose prevention toolkit last week. The toolkit aims to educate first responders, physicians, patients, and family members on the best methods for facilitating opioid overdose prevention. The updated toolkit includes information on the intranasal spray version of naloxone, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration last year.

Download the toolkit here.

In the News

Chuck Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections releases final report on criminal justice reform
The Chuck Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections released its final report on criminal justice reform last week. The report concluded over a year of analysis and stakeholder engagement conducted by a nine-person, bipartisan panel created by Congress to investigate the criminal justice system. The report asserts that the current federal and State criminal justice systems fail to adequately rehabilitate incarcerated individuals, leading to a cycle of criminality that fails to adequately maintain public safety. The Task Force highlights the large cost saving potential of criminal justice reform in the report, stating that over $5 billion in savings can be achieved if the full recommendations are approved. The recommendations include broad sentencing reform, more judicious use of incarceration, and greater emphasis on evidence-based reintegration programs for incarcerated individuals reentering society.

Read the full report here.

Legal Action Center survey finds majority of Americans support expansion of substance use disorder treatment
The Legal Action Center (LAC) released the results of a survey measuring American attitudes towards substance use disorders last week, finding that a majority of Americans support policies expanding the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders. The survey found that “57 percent of Americans support a presidential candidate who says additional investment is needed for more education, prevention, and treatment of drug and alcohol addiction; 63 percent of Americans believe ‘we put too many non-violent drug offenders in prison instead of treating their addiction’; and 78 percent of Americans believe ‘we need to treat drug and alcohol addiction more as a health problem and less as a criminal problem.’” The LAC released a new report discussing national drug and alcohol policy in conjunction with the survey findings.

Read the full survey results here.

Read the LAC report “The Roadmap for Promoting Health and Justice: A Smarter, More Effective National Drug and Alcohol Policy” here.

High schools across the country move to offer opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone for free
Many States across the country have moved to offer naloxone for free in high schools, according to a Partnership for Drug-Free Kids article released last week. New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Delaware now allow school nurses to carry naloxone in their inventory of medications. The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) stated in June that “the incorporation of naloxone into school emergency preparedness and response plans is a school nurse role.” Despite the evidence of naloxone’s success in reversing opioid overdoses, many States continue to not stock naloxone in high schools.

Read the full article here.

White House appoints Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to lead new interagency effort on opioid use disorders
Earlier this month, the White House announced that Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will lead a new interagency effort addressing the opioid crisis. The announcement is part of a larger effort to centralize federal decision-making on substance use disorders as opioid overdose rates have continued to rise across the country. Secretary Vilsack stated that while a long-term solution to the opioid crisis will be implemented by the next President, the Obama Administration intends to “develop a comprehensive strategy and elevate the issue in the American consciousness.” NASADAD sent a letter to Secretary Vilsack last week thanking him for his leadership and underlining the importance of the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant in establishing State treatment and prevention programs. The letter requests that the Secretary coordinate with State substance abuse agencies and leverage State expertise while developing new federal policies. The letter is attached to this email.

Read the full story here.

News from NASADAD

NASADAD releases FY 2016 Omnibus Appropriations Summary
NASADAD released a summary of the FY 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act last week. The summary includes a series of charts outlining the final FY 2016 appropriations for the programs and agencies involved with substance use disorders. The Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant received a $38.2 million increase compared to FY 2015, the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) received a $26.6 million decrease compared to FY 2015, and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) received a $36.0 million increase compared to FY 2016. The Obama Administration plans to release the proposed FY 2017 budget on February 9th.

Read NASADAD’s FY 2016 appropriations summary here.

NASADAD releases results of 2016 Public Policy Survey
NASADAD has compiled and released results of its annual Public Policy Survey. The survey is intended to determine the federal funding and legislative priorities of State Directors and component group leadership. The survey is also designed to acquire feedback on the services and products provided by NASADAD’ Public Policy Department. Policy staff use the survey results as a guide for prioritizing work throughout 2016.

View the 2016 Survey results here.

Should you have any questions, or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact Robert Morrison, Executive Director, (202) 293-0090 or Shalini Wickramatilake-Templeman, Public Policy Associate, at (202) 293-0090.

D.C. Update – January 19, 2016

Around the Agencies

  • GAO report suggests HHS develop comprehensive approach to healthcare workforce development
  • SAMHSA seeks comments on National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices
  • SAMHSA seeks comments on updated Synar reporting questions and format

In the News

  • Pew Charitable Trusts article outlines support and resistance surrounding medication-assisted treatment

Upcoming Events

  • Faces & Voices of Recovery announce two webinars discussing mobilization of recovery community
  • Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation announces webinar on using SBIRT to help teens with substance use disorders

News from NASADAD

  • NASADAD sends letter to Surgeon General Vivek Murthy thanking him for participation at NPN Conference and offering recommendations for upcoming Surgeon General’s report on substance use
  • NASADAD releases section-by-section analysis of Appropriations to Address the Heroin and Opioid Drug Abuse Epidemic (S. 2423)

Around the Agencies

GAO report suggests HHS develop comprehensive approach to healthcare workforce development
A U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released last week suggests that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) develop a comprehensive plan for healthcare workforce development. The report finds that HHS currently lacks comprehensive planning and oversight for its seventy-two healthcare workforce programs, and suggests that existing programs may not be sufficient in addressing the nation’s health care workforce needs. The GAO asserts that HHS’s current strategy does not effectively coordinate its agencies and associated stakeholders, leading to inadequate performance measures for tracking the growth of the country’s healthcare workforce.  According to the report, HHS’s largest workforce development programs unsuccessfully target areas of workforce need, including primary and rural care providers. The GAO recommends that “HHS develop a comprehensive and coordinated planning approach that includes performance measures, identifies any gaps between its workforce programs and national needs, and identifies actions to close these gaps.”

Read the full report here.

SAMHSA seeks comments on National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is requesting comments as it revises its National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP) program.  SAMHSA plans to conduct independent literature searches in different program areas related to substance use disorders and mental illness.  However, according to SAMHSA, due to limited resources, they will have to prioritize the number of categories they can work on.  In addition to categories listed by SAMHSA, there is a section where respondents may add additional ideas.

Please visit here for more information.

Comments are due to SAMHSA by January 29.  If your agency submits comments, NASADAD would appreciate seeing your ideas and recommendations by January 22nd. Comments can be sent to Shalini Wickramatilake-Templeman at swickramatilake@nasadad.org. NASADAD will then work with leadership to determine whether the Association will offer comments.

SAMHSA seeks comments on updated Synar reporting questions and format
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) is currently seeking comments on proposed changes to the Annual Synar Report. Synar Reports require State agencies to submit information describing the enforcement of laws regulating tobacco products. The proposed changes clarify reporting requirements for States in an effort to decrease the need for supplemental questions once the reports have been submitted. New questions regarding State reporting protocols and methodologies have been added to bolster communication between SAMHSA and State agencies.

To see the Notice, please visit here.

Comments are due to SAMHSA by February 26th to Summer King, SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer, Room 2–1057, One Choke Cherry Road, Rockville, MD 20857, or email a copy to: summer.king@samhsa.hhs.gov

If your agency submits comments, NASADAD would appreciate seeing your recommendations, or being CC’d on letters sent to SAMHSA by February 19th (swickramatilake@nasadad.org).  NASADAD will then work with leadership to determine whether the Association will offer comments.

In the News

Pew Charitable Trusts article outlines support and resistance surrounding medication-assisted treatment
The Pew Charitable Trusts released an article last week on barriers to the provision of medication-assisted treatment. The article states that despite evidence of treatment success, medications such as buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone remain unavailable at more than two-thirds of substance use disorder clinics and treatment centers. This lack of supply is partially attributed to the societal stigma labeling substance use disorders as a moral failing rather than a medical problem. The article highlights several other factors contributing to the lack of access to medication-assisted treatment, including too few health care professionals specializing in substance use disorder treatment, limited insurance coverage through both private insurers and State Medicaid programs, and profit concerns of private residential facilities. The article concludes with an overview of the existing State and federal statutes regulating medications used in treatment programs.

Read the full article here.

Upcoming Events

Faces & Voices of Recovery announce two webinars discussing mobilization of recovery community
Faces & Voices of Recovery (FAVOR) has announced two webinars on the mobilization of the recovery community. The first webinar will be held on Thursday, January 21st from 3-4PM EST, and will feature commentary from Shannon Egan, Director of Communications and Development at Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness (USARA), on how to best utilize social media for recovery community awareness campaigns. The second webinar will be held on Thursday, February 18 from 3-4 PM EST, and will discuss the organization of the recovery community into a voting constituency for the November 2016 elections. Laszlo Jaress, Program Development Coordinator at Faces & Voices of Recovery, will speak during the webinar on the importance of making the recovery community’s voice heard.

Register for the January 21st webinar here.

Register for the February 18th webinar here.

Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation announces webinar on using SBIRT to help teens with substance use disorders
The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation has announced a webinar focusing on the use of evidence-based screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) to help teens with substance use disorders.  Ken Winters, PhD, Research Psychologist and Advisor at the Institute for Translational Research in Children’s Mental Health at the University of Minnesota will lead the discussion. Dr. Winters will review his Teen Intervene SBIRT model that integrates cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and motivational interviewing into the treatment regimen. The webinar will be held on Thursday, January 28th from 1-2 PM EST.

Register for the free webinar here.

News from NASADAD

NASADAD sends letter to Surgeon General Vivek Murthy thanking him for participation at NPN Conference and offering recommendations for upcoming Surgeon General’s report on substance use
Last week the NASADAD Board of Directors sent a letter to United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy thanking him for participating in the 2015 National Prevention Network (NPN) Conference in Seattle, WA. The letter expressed NASADAD’s gratitude for Dr. Murthy’s keynote remarks during the conference, as well as the Board of Directors’ appreciation for Dr. Murthy’s decision to draft the first ever Surgeon General’s Report on substance use, addiction, and health. The letter included Board recommendations for the report, which include highlighting the important role of State substance abuse agencies, and maintaining a dialogue with NASADAD members throughout the drafting process. The report is expected to be released this fall.

NASADAD releases section-by-section analysis of Appropriations to Address the Heroin and Opioid Drug Abuse Epidemic (S. 2423)
NASADAD released a section-by-section analysis of Senator Shaheen’s (D-NH) Appropriations to Address the Heroin and Opioid Drug Abuse Epidemic (S. 2423) last week. The legislation would appropriate $200 million in additional funding for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, as well as $10 million for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program for States with high rates of opioid-related primary treatment admissions. The bill would also provide $225 million in funding increases for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant program, $10 million for The Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Prescription Drug and Opioid Addiction program of the Programs of Regional and National Significance (PRNS) within the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAP), and $5 million for CSAP’s Recovery Community Services Program for the development of Statewide peer-to-peer recovery support networks. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) would also receive supplemental funds improve opioid use disorder prevention and treatment.

Read NASADAD’s section-by-section summary here.

Read the full text of S. 2423 here.

Should you have any questions, or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact Robert Morrison, Executive Director, (202) 293-0090 or Shalini Wickramatilake-Templeman, Public Policy Associate, at (202) 293-0090.