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Blueprint for the States Policy Panel Seeks Testimony
A Join Together Public Policy Panel is developing recommendations for the improvement of treatment and prevention of substance use disorders. The recommendations are meant for state government leaders and concerned citizens. They have put out a call for testimony by March 1, 2006. Click here for guidelines. The Panel, whose members include Faces & Voices of Recovery Board member Tom McHale, held its first meeting on Dec. 15, 2005, and is gathering public testimony in anticipation of releasing a set of key recommendations in June 2006. There will be public hearings in Santa Fe, New Mexico on Jan. 30 and in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 13.
Government-funded programs provide most of the addiction treatment and prevention services in the U.S. while states are in the forefront of efforts to prevent and treat alcohol and other drug abuse. Among the issues under consideration by the Panel are: who should lead this fight at the state level; how government entities and services can best be structured; and which state criminal-justice policies can serve as models for others.
The panel's recommendations will largely be driven by the public testimony received, but the group's early work has already revealed some guiding themes and areas of concern. For example, panel members have expressed an interest in defining the appropriate role and structure of the single state agencies (SSAs) that have primary responsibility for administering drug and alcohol programs. Other potential topics include the role of governors and other senior government leaders, sentencing policies, statewide collaboration, treatment integration, proper funding levels for addiction-related services, workforce development, and data collection and outcomes measurement.