$100 Million In Grants Support Substance Abuse Treatment
Access to Recovery grants OF $100 million.to provide people seeking drug and alcohol treatment with vouchers for a range of appropriate community-based services have been announce by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
By providing vouchers, the grant program promotes client choice, expands access to a broad array of clinical treatment and recovery support services, including services provided by faith- and community- based programs, and increases substance abuse treatment capacity.
The grants are being awarded to 14 states and one tribal organization. Three-year grants are being awarded to California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the California Rural Indian Health Board. In fiscal year 2005, President Bush has proposed doubling the funding for Access to Recovery to help even more of those seeking treatment.
HHS’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will administer the grant program.
In their applications, grantees delineated a process for screening and determining appropriate services for the individual client. Clients will be assessed, given a voucher for identified services, and provided with a list of appropriate service providers from which to choose.
As described below, grantees proposed a broad range of innovative approaches and target populations. The grantees were competitively chosen from applications from 44 states and 22 tribes and territories.
Grantees include:
California — Awarded $7.6 million per year for each of three years for a total of approximately $22.8 million. The state program will address the most critical treatment need in the state — service for substance abusing youth between 12 and 20 years of age. The program will target four cities — Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco. California will provide incentives to programs based upon consumer satisfaction and client outcomes. The program will expand clinical treatment and recovery support capability to nontraditional providers, such as faith- based organizations.
Connecticut — Awarded $7.6 million per year for each of three years for a total of approximately $22.8 million. Connecticut’s program will target at-risk, nondependent adult populations ages 18 and older, who are at increased risk of continued substance use or abuse, as well as adults with substance use disorders. The program will emphasize populations documented to have significant barriers to access to care, service use and successful treatment outcomes, such as criminal justice, adults involved in the child welfare system and racially or culturally diverse populations. Connecticut will offer a choice through a provider network that includes a variety of traditional and non-traditional providers, including those who are faith and peer-based.
Florida — Awarded $6.8 million per year for each of three years for a total of approximately $20.4 million. Florida will focus on individuals involved with the criminal justice system, families putting children at risk, or other high-risk populations such as persons with co-occurring disorders and individuals, including older adults, who abuse prescription drugs. The Florida program involves partnerships with Florida’s Faith-Based Association, the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association, the Southern Coast Addiction Technology Transfer Center, and the NET Training Institute.
Idaho — Awarded $7.6 million per year for each of three years for a total of approximately $22.8 million. The Idaho program is designed to expand the state’s continuum of treatment services. It will reach people currently not able to receive services. The program will provide the state’s first opportunity to self-select a provider from a menu of assessment, clinical treatment and recovery support service providers. Idaho is involving faith community recovery advocates, community and tribal health clinics, community and tribal social services providers and state services in its system.
Illinois — Awarded $7.6 million per year for each of three years for a total of approximately $22.8 million. The state expects to implement a continuum of clinical treatment and recovery support services for probationers. The program expects to serve probationers in Cook County as well as in Illinois’ Fifth and Sixth Judicial Circuits and the ten counties immediately adjacent to them, which is a mixed rural and small urban area in the eastern part of Central Illinois. Illinois had 47 organizations participate in an Access to Recovery planning meeting, including a number of faith-based organizations that are not currently funded by the state.
Louisiana — Awarded $7.6 million per year for each of three years for a total of approximately $22.8 million to create an electronic voucher system to provide clients with a freedom of choice for clinical treatment and recovery support services. The initiative will focus on women, women with dependent children and adolescents. Identified gaps in treatment services will be closed through collaboration with providers from the public and private sector, as well as non-profit and faith-based organizations. “Set Free Indeed,” a faith-based ministry in Baton Rouge, will provide assistance needed by other faith-based agencies to implement faith-based practices and become licensed as providers by the state.
Missouri — Awarded $7.6 million per year for each of three years for a total of approximately $22.8 million to implement a statewide voucher system for adults that affords genuine, free and independent choice among an increased number of qualified service providers; provides recovery support services through traditional, non-traditional and faith-based organizations; expands the existing managed care system for proper control and monitoring; and measures outcomes in seven critical domains.
New Jersey — Awarded approximately $4 million per year for each of three years for a total of approximately $12.2 million. The program will provide choice and increase outpatient treatment capacity and expand day programs. The state expects to assess those on existing waiting lists to determine appropriate interventions, and provide placements. The initiative will consist of a network of service providers inclusive of faith-based programs, licensed substance abuse treatment programs, recovery ministries, social service agencies, shelters, legal services, vocational and educational services, and others.
New Mexico — Awarded $7.6 million per year for each of three years for a total of approximately $22.8 million. New Mexico will increase and enhance clinical treatment and recovery support services and offer client choice through the implementation of a voucher system. The new program will enhance the City of Albuquerque’s existing voucher system and replicate that system in Santa Fe County, Dona Ana County (Las Cruces) and in Five Sandoval Indian Pueblos, Inc. Catholic Charities’ statewide Stone Soup Collaborative will lead an effort to increase the state’s capacity to offer increased choices in recovery support services through faith-based and community-based organizations.
Tennessee — Awarded $5.9 million per year for each of three years for a total of approximately $17.8 million. The goal of the Tennessee program is to maintain abstinence by supplying vouchers for assessment, substance abuse clinical treatment and/or recovery services. The program will provide client choice among substance abuse clinical treatment and recovery support providers while expanding access to service options, including faith-based options, and increasing the number of state-authorized substance abuse providers.
Texas — Awarded $7.6 million per year for each of three years for a total of approximately $22.8 million. Texas will focus on access and recovery needs of eligible drug court offenders. Services available through the Texas voucher system include assessment, clinical treatment and recovery support provided through a network of multiple drug courts. Voucher recipients will be afforded genuine, free and independent choice among service options, including faith-based organizations.
Washington — Awarded $7.6 million per year for each of three years for a total of approximately $22.8 million. The state plans to utilize its Access to Recovery grant to provide clinical drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services to low-income individuals in crisis who are involved with Child Protective Services, shelters and supported housing, free and low income medical clinics and community detoxification programs. The program will offer a full range of treatment services and increase the number of providers trained and qualified to offer recovery services, particularly faith-based.
Wisconsin — Awarded $7.6 million per year for each of three years for a total of approximately $22.8 million. The Wisconsin program will expand capacity and enhance Milwaukee’s current voucher system for people with substance use disorders. Collaboration with faith-based and community coalitions will lead to a greatly expanded choice of providers for clinical treatment and recovery support services, and the ability to monitor the system for effectiveness.
Wyoming — Awarded $978,000 per year for each of three years for a total of approximately $2.9 million. This program will expand treatment capacity for adolescents and their families; improve accountability in service delivery; and create an integrated clinical treatment and recovery support services system. The adolescents targeted will be those involved with the criminal justice system. The state is establishing mechanisms for allowing participation by previously ineligible providers, particularly community-based and faith-based providers.
California Rural Indian Health Board — Awarded $5.7 million per year for each of three years for a total of approximately $17.1 million. This coalition of California tribes, tribal and urban Indian health professionals, and substance abuse clinical treatment and recovery support service providers is seeking to provide every American Indian or Alaska Native in California with a substance abuse problem access to treatment opportunities that will foster recovery. The program will allow patients to select among Indian and non-Indian providers of services; traditional native spiritual and mainstream faith-based services; restrictive or non-restrictive environments; and discrete or wrap-around services.
