Overview of the Wyoming State Addiction Treatment System (SSA)
Under what department is the SSA located in Wyoming? How is it organized? What are its stated vision/mission/priorities?
The Wyoming Substance Abuse Division (SAD) is located within the Wyoming Department of Health.
How is your agency organized? (Into what departments?)
SAD is organized into two areas: 1) Operations, which deals with contracting, fiscal, IT, personnel and policy issues; and 2) Clinical Services and Community Programs, which handles prevention, tobacco prevention and control, drug courts and treatment programs.
Wyoming SAD Vision:
“To lead the country with the lowest rate of substance abuse by 2020.”
Stated Mission:
The mission of the Wyoming SAD is to counter aggressively the debilitating effects of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs in Wyoming by building partnerships with citizens, communities, agencies, service providers, and other professionals to effect permanent change as a foundation for personal, family and community wellness and health.
What are your agency’s program priorities?
SAD’s priorities mirror the priority population requirements of the Federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant.
Contact Information:
Roger McDaniel, J.D., M.Div., Deputy Director
Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Wyoming Department of Health
6101 Yellowstone Road, Suite 220
Cheyenne, WY 82002
TEL: 307-777-3365
FAX: 307-777-5849
E-mail:
http://wdh.state.wy.us/sad/index.asp
Treatment Facilities
List the number of treatment centers, the type (state-funded, private nonprofit, private for profit, etc.), and their capacity in the state of Wyoming.
In Wyoming, 50 substance abuse treatment facilities responded to the 2004 N-SSATS, reporting that there were 2,887clients in substance abuse treatment on March 31, 2004. The survey response rate in Wyoming was 94%.
Facility Ownership/Operation
Clients in Treatment on March 31, 2004
Facilities / All Clients / Clients Under Age 18
No. / % / No. / % / No. / %
Private non-profit / 33 / 66% / 2,195 / 76% / 283 / 41%
Private for-profit / 6 / 12% / 181 / 3% / 5 / 32%
Local government / 5 / 10% / 235 / 8% / 16 / 18%
State government / 1 / 2% / 5 / <1% / – / –
Federal government / 5 / 10% / 271 / 9% / – / –
Dept. of Veterans Affairs / 5 / 10% / 271 / 9% / – / –
Dept. of Defense / – / – / – / – / – / –
Indian Health Service / – / – / – / – / – / –
Other / – / – / – / – / – / –
Tribal government / – / – / – / – / – / –
Total / 50 / 100% / 2,887 / 100% / 304 / 100%
List state treatment hotlines that relate to substance abuse.
N/A
List workforce development initiatives in Wyoming.
N/A
Treatment Providers
List the approximate number of treatment providers (frontline counselors/practitioners) in the state of Wyoming.
There are 212 total treatment providers. This number includes all certified and licensed practitioners, certified addiction specialists and certified addiction specialist assistants.
Provide the names and contact information for the provider and credentialing associations in Wyoming.
Wyoming Mental Health Professions Licensing Board
2020 Carey Avenue, Ste. # 201
Cheyenne, WY 82002
Phone: 307-777-7788
Fax: 307-777-3508
http://plboards.state.wy.us/mentalhealth
Wyoming Association of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers
http://www.wamhsac.org
Specific Information Regarding Prescription Drugs
Familiarity with Prescription Drug Abuse Trends
Q1: What process do you have in place to track drug trends?
The Wyoming State Board of Pharmacy collects schedules II-IV controlled substance prescription information from all resident and non-resident retail pharmacies that dispense to residents of Wyoming. In addition, Wyoming pharmacists are required to report to the Wyoming Health Department the occurrence of unusual trends that might be related to a public health emergency. This includes unusual trends in pharmacy visits, unusually high volumes of certain types of prescriptions filled and unusual trends in non-prescription medication sales.
Q2: What is the incidence of prescription drug abuse for your state? Describe any (current or planned) initiatives/programs that specifically target prescription drug abuse.
The Wyoming SSA does not capture data about the incidence of prescription drug abuse for the state. The Wyoming Health Department–Pharmacy Unit has a lock-in program for suspected prescription drug abusers. The program “locks” suspected Medicaid clients into obtaining prescription medications from only one pharmacy. There are also media campaigns about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.
(Information below was taken from a 2006 US DEA fact sheet on Wyoming - http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/states/wyoming.html)
“ Valium® (a benzodiazepine) and semi-synthetic narcotic painkillers (such as Vicodin®, Dilaudid®, and Percocet®/Percodan®) have been identified as being among the most commonly abused and diverted pharmaceuticals in Wyoming. Common methods of diversion are illegal sale and distribution by health care professionals and workers, and “doctor shopping” (going to a number of doctors to obtain prescriptions for a controlled pharmaceutical). The diversion of prescription controlled substances of concern in Wyoming. The most commonly abused are depressants, such as Valium® (diazepam), and semi-synthetic narcotic painkillers, such as Vicodin® (hydrocodone), Dilaudid® (hydromorphone), and Percocet® and Percodan® (oxycodone).”
Q3: To what extent do individuals seeking treatment for prescription drug abuse request services in state supported programs? Please describe the type(s) of programs in your state that provide treatment to individuals with a prescription drug addiction.
Wyoming’s SAD tracks this information using the Wyoming Client Information System (WCIS), a web-based behavioral health recording and reporting system. The system tracks clients’ abuse of prescription drugs such as barbiturates, benzodiazepines, ketamine and others. However, the system does not track whether these individuals have a prescription for the substances. All state funded programs treat prescription and illegal drug addictions.
Familiarity with PDMP
Q4: Please explain how familiar you are with the Wyoming Prescription Monitoring Program. If familiar, explain what you know about the program. If your agency has interfaced with this program, explain how it has interfaced.
Wyoming’s SAD is familiar with the Wyoming Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP). The Wyoming State Board of Pharmacy collects schedule II, III and IV controlled substance prescription information from all resident and non-resident retail pharmacies that dispense to residents of Wyoming. This program was developed for the purpose of assisting patients, practitioners and pharmacists to avoid inappropriate use of controlled substances and to help identify illegal activity related to the dispensing of controlled substances. SAD does not interface directly with the Wyoming PMP.
Initiatives Targeting Physicians and Pharmacists
General Awareness/Educational Initiatives Related to Addiction
Q5: Describe strategies that have been implemented in your state to reach out to physicians and pharmacists on addiction-related information. Were your efforts successful? Why or why not?
None at this time
Initiatives Related to Screening, Brief Intervention & Referral to Treatment
Q6: Describe current/planned Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) initiatives/programs that target prescribers of prescription drugs such as physicians, others authorized to prescribe prescription drugs and pharmacists?
None at this time
Mr. Steve Gilmore, administrator of the Substance Abuse Division for the Wyoming Department of Health, completed this survey on July 21, 2006.
307-777-7373 •