Category Archives: Public View
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Appropriations to Address the Heroin and Opioid Drug Abuse Epidemic (S. 2423; H.R. 4447): A Section-by-Section Analysis
NASADAD Presentation to the Criminal Justice Executive Directors Roundtable
D.C. Update – January 12, 2016
News from the States
- Ohio announces funding recipients of Child of Incarcerated Parents (CIP) initiative
Around the Agencies
- CSAP seeks comments on proposed changes to Annual Synar Report for FY 2017-2019
- NIAAA updates Alcohol Policy Information System
- AHRQ report suggests that health information exchange impact not yet fully understood
- SAMHSA releases new mobile substance use disorder and mental health resources
In the News
- President Obama vetoes bill that would repeal parts of Affordable Care Act
- Health Information Technology Policy Committee submits interoperability recommendations to Congress
- Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network launches Center of Excellence for Pregnant and Parenting Women
- Harvard Kennedy School of Government announces Innovation in American Government Awards grant program
Upcoming Events
- ONDCP, SAMHSA, and HHS host webinar on role of faith-based groups in addressing substance use disorders
- NIDA National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week materials
News from the States
Ohio announces funding recipients of Child of Incarcerated Parents (CIP) initiative
The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) Office of Prevention and Wellness announced the funding recipients of its Children of Incarcerated Parents (CIP) initiative last week. The CIP initiative seeks to provide one-time funding to programs and organizations working to develop substance use disorder and trauma support systems for children of incarcerated parents. Almost $2 million in funding was awarded to the Federation of Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Programs (UMADAOPs) to create and develop support programs using the Creating Lasting Families Connections curriculum. Additionally, $400,000 in funding was awarded to the Ohio University Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs to track outcomes and evaluate the integration of the Creating Lasting Family Connections curriculum into Ohio’s broader re-entry policies.
Around the Agencies
CSAP seeks comments on proposed changes to Annual Synar Report for FY 2017-2019
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.
Read the full list of proposed changes here.
NIAAA updates Alcohol Policy Information System
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) released an update to its Alcohol Policy Information System (APIS) late last month. APIS contains information on each State’s alcohol policies as of January 1, 2015. Last month’s update features new information on several State statutes and regulations.
Access APIS here.
AHRQ report suggests that health information exchange impact not yet fully understood
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality released a report in late December suggesting that the full impact of electronic health information exchange (HIE) on patient outcomes is not yet fully understood. The report found that 75 percent of U.S. hospitals engaged in electronic sharing of health information with outside providers in 2014, which is an 85 percent increase since 2008. In 2012, only 39 percent of office-based health providers were able to utilize HIE. The AHRQ suggests that barriers to using HIE include “difficulties gathering a critical mass of participants, inefficient workflows, and poorly designed interface and update features.” The AHRQ recommends future studies coordinate with one another in order to achieve a comprehensive approach to studying the impact of HIE.
Read the full report here.
SAMHSA releases new mobile behavioral health resources
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) highlighted a series of new mobile behavioral health resource applications last week. The new mobile applications include suicide, bullying, and natural disaster resources; as well as an interactive game application called “Talk. They Hear You,” encouraging communication about underage drinking between parents and their children.
Read more about “Talk. They Hear You” here.
In the News
President Obama vetoes bill that would repeal parts of Affordable Care Act
Last week President Obama vetoed the Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act (H.R. 3762). In his veto message, the President noted that the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the legislation would increase the number of uninsured Americans by 22 million after 2017, and that this reduction in health care coverage means that 900,000 fewer people would receive the health care services they need each year.
Read President Obama’s entire veto message here.
Read the text of H.R. 3762 here.
Health Information Technology Policy Committee submits interoperability recommendations to Congress
The Health Information Technology Policy Committee, a federal advisory committee to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, submitted recommendations for improving healthcare interoperability to Congress late last month. The recommendations include the development of meaningful measures of health information exchange (HIE) outcomes, including public reporting and vendor performance measures. The committee further recommended setting specific HIE payment incentives incorporating performance measure criteria, and requested the federal government convene a summit of major stakeholders within the public and private sectors.
Read the full report here.
Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network launches Center of Excellence for Pregnant and Parenting Women
The Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Network launched their new Center of Excellence for Pregnant and Parenting Women this past week. The new Center aims to bolster the strength of the addictions workforce serving pregnant and parenting women struggling with substance use disorders by developing new national curricula and web-based tools. The Mid-America ATTC will lead the new Center with the help of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Nursing and Health Studies. The first year of the program will focus on the development of infrastructure and new web-based tools, with subsequent years focusing on the dissemination of additional products to all relevant stakeholders.
Read the full announcement here.
Harvard Kennedy School of Government announces Innovation in American Government Awards grant program
The Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation announced the Innovations in American Government Awards grant program last week. The grant program seeks to recognize “government-led programs that demonstrate novel and effective approaches to increasing public engagement and participation in the governance of towns, cities, States, and the nation.” Government entities at all levels (federal, State, local, tribal, and territorial) are eligible to apply for the grant award. Winners of the grant program will receive a $100,000 grant to aid in the continued development of recognized programs, with top finalists also receiving grant awards. Applications are due on April 15, 2016.
Read the full announcement and apply here.
Upcoming Events
ONDCP, SAMHSA, and HHS host webinar on role of faith-based groups in addressing substance use disorders
The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships will be hosting a webinar on the role of faith-based groups in supporting health and wellness in communities across the country. During the webinar, faith leaders will present on how they are engaging their communities to address substance use disorders. The webinar will be held on Friday, January 15th from 1:00-2:00 pm EST.
Register for the webinar here.
NIDA National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week materials
In preparation for the National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is offering a variety of print and online educational resources. The Drug & Alcohol Facts Week is a national health observance for teens that uses NIDA science to share facts about drugs. The deadline to request free materials is this Friday, January 15th.
Materials can be ordered 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 – December 23, 2015
News from the States
- New York Governor Andrew Cuomo releases new heroin and prescription drug toolkit
- Unite to Face Addiction rally featured on front cover of South Carolina’s Fall 2015 newsletter
Around the Agencies
- SAMHSA accepting applications for Youth Treatment Implementation Grants
- SAMHSA announces Drug-Free Communities Support Program Grants
- SAMHSA releases issues brief on heroin prevention strategies
- NIH Strategic Plan now publicly available
In the News
- Every Student Succeeds Act signed into law by President Obama
- Vera Institute of Justice releases new interactive tool tracking mass incarceration
- Jeff Levi leaves Trust for America’s Health
Upcoming News
- SAMHSA and CADCA announce dates for 26th National Leadership Forum & SAMHSA’s 12th Prevention Day
News from the States
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo releases new heroin and prescription drug toolkit
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the release of a new heroin and prescription drug toolkit last week. The new “Kitchen Table Toolkit” was released as part of New York’s Combat Heroin and Prescription Opioid Abuse campaign, and contains two videos for parents, teachers, and community members to reference when discussing heroin and prescription opioid misuse with young adults. Both videos discuss the wide-reaching impact of substance use disorders and provide information on how to help those in need receive treatment.
Arlene González-Sánchez, the Commissioner of the New York State Office of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), has developed various resources to help combat opioid misuse in her State, including the NY State HOPEline, a 24/7 hotline offering motivational interviewing and referrals for those with addiction issues.
Read the announcement of the Kitchen Table Toolkit and view the videos here.
Unite to Face Addiction rally featured on front cover of South Carolina DAODAS’s Fall 2015 newsletter
The Unite to Face Addiction rally held in Washington, DC in October was featured on the South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services’ (DAODAS) Fall 2015 newsletter. The newsletter provides a summary of the rally’s performers and attendees, noting that DAODAS Director Bob Toomey attended the event. The Unite to Face Addiction rally’s organizers assert that one in three American households is affected in some way by substance use disorders. The organizers plan to build a national movement providing a voice for those affected by or living with substance use disorders.
Around the Agencies
SAMHSA accepting applications for Youth Treatment Implementation Grants
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is accepting applications for Cooperative Agreements for Adolescents and Transitional Aged Youth Treatment Implementation grants. The purpose of this grant program is to provide funding to States, Territories, and Tribes to improve treatment for adolescents and transitional aged youth with substance use disorders or co-occurring substance use and mental disorders. The program helps provide youth access to evidence-based assessments, treatment models, and recovery services. SAMHSA expects that grants of up to $800,000, per year for up to three years, will be provided to up to two selected grantees. Applications are due January 26th, 2016.
To apply, please visit both http://www.grants.gov and the SAMHSA website to download the required documents you will need to complete the application.
SAMHSA announces Drug-Free Communities Support Program Grants
Last week the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced Drug-Free Communities (DFC) grants. The DFC Support Program aims to reduce substance use among youth and adults by addressing the factors in a community that increase the risk of substance abuse and promoting the factors that minimize the risk of substance abuse. Eligible applicants are community-based coalitions addressing youth substance use that have never received a DFC grant.
SAMHSA releases issue brief on heroin prevention strategies
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies (CAPT) released a new issue brief on heroin prevention strategies last week. The new resource discusses ongoing trends associated with heroin use and prescription drug misuse, and contains a list of data sources for heroin-related information. The brief outlines several promising strategies for confronting the growing prevalence of opioid overdoses throughout the country.
NIH Strategic Plan now publicly available
Last week the National Institutes of Health (NIH) submitted their FY 2016- FY 2020 Strategic Plan to Congress, and it is now publicly available. In the plan, the NIH presents a framework that describes their mission in the context of the changing healthcare landscape. The plan is designed to coordinate decision-making across the Agency, and it will complement, not replace, the strategic plans of the individual Institutes, Centers, and Program Offices, including the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
In the News
Every Student Succeeds Act signed into law by President Obama
Last week Congress passed and President Obama signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA; S. 1177), a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). This Act includes provisions regarding substance use disorder prevention, and it will provide funding for evidence-based drug prevention in schools. The passage of the ESSA does not appropriate a specific amount of money towards drug prevention, but it does require local educational agencies to use at least 20% of academic enrichment grant funding for drug and violence prevention.
Read the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America’s (CADCA) overview of ESSA here.
Vera Institute of Justice releases new interactive tool tracking mass incarceration
Last week the Vera Institute of Justice released a new interactive tool for tracking mass incarceration growth between 1970 and 2014. A report discussing mass incarceration and a related fact sheet accompanied the release of the new tool. The Vera Institute found that since 1970 the number of individuals held in jail increased four-fold from 157,000 to 690,000 per year. Jail populations were observed to grow more quickly than prison populations, especially in small and mid-sized counties across the country. The report asserts that African Americans comprise approximately 40 percent of the jail population, and that the number of incarcerated women rose fourteen-fold from 8,000 women in 1970 to 110,000 women in 2014.
Access the tool here.
Access the report here.
Access the fact sheet here.
Jeff Levi leaves Trust for America’s Health
Jeff Levi, Executive Director of Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), will be returning to academia full-time in his position as professor of Health Policy and Management at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at The George Washington University. During his time as Executive Director, Dr. Levi prioritized issues ranging from obesity to HIV/AIDS. Rich Hamburg will serve as Interim President and CEO until Dr. Levi’s position is filled long-term.
Upcoming Events
SAMHSA and CADCA announce dates for 26th National Leadership Forum & SAMHSA’s 12th Prevention Day
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) announced the dates for the 26th National Leadership Forum last week. The event will be held from February 1-4, 2016 at the Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. The conference will feature a number of presentations from substance use disorder professionals on recent research as well as several training workshops.
Access more information and register for the event 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.