Task Force on Substance Abuse Treatment Services – July 8, 2009
Posted on July 8th, 2009
Date & Time: Tuesday, July 08, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Location: Room 130, State Capitol
Agenda: http://tr.im/roKO
Attachments: none
10:06 am – Dr. Joe Thompson, the Surgeon General of Arkansas is providing an update on the Governor’s Roundtable on Healthcare. He is currently talking about tobacco being a gateway drug and the impact of tobacco use on the progression of young people becoming “ensnarled” in addiction.
10:13 am – He is discussing that health insurance usually does not include substance abuse treatment.
10:14 am – Dr. Thompson said that we do not have as much information about substance abuse statistics as he would like. There are 24,000 children between 12 and 17 who have used illicit drugs in the last month. 30,000 children have used marijuana in the last year. 3,000 children in Arkansas
10:21 am – Dr. Thompson says “the science of addiction” has proven that all drugs change the neurotransmitter preformance in the brain.
10:23 am – Apparently 40,000 children in Arkansas between 12 and 17 have used alcohol in the past month.
10:24 am – The term “illicit drugs” used above apparently include marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack), heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, or prescription-type psycotherapeutics used nonmedically.
10:27 am – The handout of statistics that we were given seems to be very limited in information related to methamphetamine.
10:29 am – Statistics say that 6000 children in Arkansas are currently illicit drug dependent. The term dependence is based on definitions found in the 4th edition on the Diagnostic and Statical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV)
10:43 am – Senator Prichard says that we have made great strides in changing how we look at addiction. He states that we have removed the stigma and are now view addiction as a health problem rather than a moral failure.
10:46 am – Jay Bradford, the Commissioner of the Arkansas Department of Insurance (and former Senator / State Representative) is currently discussing insurance coverage for mental health and substance abuse treatment. He is discussing laws and regulations that says that if an insurance company provides mental health and substance abuse treatment, it must be done in the same manner and level as any other health issue.
10:51 am – [Commentary] I find it interesting that “Mental Health” and “Substance Abuse” are always being used together in these discussions. I had never realized these were so closely related for funding purposes. I am too ignorant to really know what the implication of this is, but it is setting off red flags in my mind.
10:54 am – [More Commentary] I am also disturbed by the amount of discussion about forcing insurance companies to provide substance abuse treatment coverage. Apparently most people in Arkansas are employeed by small businesses that do not provide subtance abuse treatment, but desire to provide mental health treatment.
10:58 am – Apparently there is a struggle to keep “mental health” and “substance abuse” treatment “tied together.” Commissioner Bradford discussed that the offering of these services are currently “voluntary” but believes that once these services are in place, there will be a desire for people to keep it and therefore will be sustained.
11:03 am – There is alot of discussion about “parity” which I always thought that meant that physical health and mental health being treated the same for coverage purposes, but the term seems to be evolving to mean something more. Apparently it also coming to mean that an insurance provider can not divide out what is claimed to be particular areas of mental health, specifically drug abuse treatment.
11:11 am – Cindy Crone, Project Coordinator for the Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap Grant, is providing an update. She is making the case for government funding of substance abuse treatment based upon the societal costs associated with substance abuse disorders.
11:14 am – Apparently Arkansas spends up to $30 million per year on treatment for fetal alcohol syndrome. And $1/2 to $4 million per year per child born with fetal alcohol syndrome.
11:16 am – 24% of community hospital stays (excluding psychiatric or substance abuse treatment facilities) in 2004 were for patients with primary or secondary mental health or substance abuse disorders. Length of stays were longer, and over half of costs were billed to the government.
11:19 am – 80% of incarcerated individuals have a substance use disorder. It is claimed that Treatment costs less than incarceration and the outcomes are better [Commentary] – I tend to agree with this claim, but I am still not convinced about what the proper role of government is here.
11:22 am – 75% of parents of children in therapeutic foster care have records of substance addiction problems. Of mothers in treatment, over 80% have a parent with a substance use disorder
11:27 am – [Commentary] All of the discussions today center on idea that I am not comfortable with… 1) how to force insurance companies to provide coverage and 2) how to spend more state and federal tax dollars. I think very real problems are being presented here and very real solutions need to be made. But I am also convinced that government is not the solutions. Conservatives are going to have to intellectually address these issues. Failure is not an option.
11:32 am – 32% of new child welfare cases in AR in 2007 listed substance abuse as a factor in custody removal. Children placed in foster care due to parental addiction stay longer and cost more.
11:34 am – 75% of youth committed to DYS in 2007 had co-occuring substance abuse and mental health disorders. Of adolescents known to have FASD, 67% have had run-ins with the law and 33% have been institutionalized.
11:57 am – Janie Huddleston, the Deputy Director of DHS and Dawn Zekis, the Director of Policy and Planning for DHS are providing an update on Project 95.
12:00 am – In September of 2007, the Arkansas Department of Human Services formed the Project 95 Committee. The “95″ refers to the precent of individuals that need but do not get treatment. The committee is comprised of legislators, state officials, providers, and community leaders. The Project 95 Committee charged DHS with identifying the essential substance abuse services for Arkansans who need treatment as well as the financial and service delivery strategies that are necessary to begin to close the addiction treatment gap.
12:03 am – Project 95 is suggesting that substance abuse should not be and “excluder” for obtaining healthcare from the state but rather an addtional “benefit” to be provided.
12:13 am – Committee adjourned. Tobacco settlement money will be evaluated by task force tomorrow.
Filed under Uncategorized |
Comments are closed.
