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Vol. V, No. 7 June 22, 2007
SAAS National Conference Advance Registration Ends June 30Advance registration for the 2007 SAAS National Conference ends on June 30. After that date, registrations will only be accepted onsite. For the conference program, registration and hotel information, go to.
SAAS UPDATE
SAAS Participates in SAMHSA Technical Expert Panel
SAAS was invited to serve on the 2007 Technical Expert Panel (TEP) for SAMHSA Spending Estimates, so that staff developing the annual report could benefit from the provider perspective. David Turpin, Deputy Executive Director of SouthLight, a comprehensive addiction services program in Raleigh, NC and a member of the SAAS-affiliated association in that state, represented SAAS at the meeting. This project develops estimates of national expenditures on mental health services and treatment for substance use disorders on an ongoing basis, covering past spending and projections to 2014.
State Association Leaders Retire
Leaders from several SAASmember state associations have retired. Leaving positions or about to leave are: Doyle Dobbins of Delaware, Betty Funk of Massachusetts, David Miller of Arizona, and Jack Tanner of Utah. They are all long-time advocates for prevention and treatment in their states and nationally, and they have provided significant support to SAAS. SAAS wishes them well as they move into this new stage of their lives. SAAS welcomes those taking on new roles with these state associations. They are: Executive Director Connie Hughes (Delaware), President and CEO Vicker (Vic) DiGravio, III (Massachusetts), Acting CEO Jerry Boehm (Arizona), and Acting Executive Director Angela Smart (Utah).
NEWS
Senate Appropriations Committee Approves FY 2008 Funding for SAMHSA Programs
The US Senate Appropriations Committee has approved a bill funding the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), Education and Related Agencies – which includes SAMHSA. The Senate bill includes
level funding for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant, while the House Subcommittee-approved version recommended a $35 million increase. The Senate Committee did recommend increased funding for the discretionary grant programs under the Centers for Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment and the research programs of NIDA and NIAAA.Funding for the Safe and Drug-FreeSchools and Communities State Grants program would be $300 million under both the House and Senate bills – a $46 million reduction from current levels but $200 million more than the President requested. Senate Subcommittee Chairman Tom Harkin (IA) expressed the hope that funding agreed to in conference between the two bodies would be closer to the higher, House version. Overall, the Senate bill includes $149 billion in discretionary spending – $9 billion more than the President’s proposal and $1.9 billion less than the House Subcommittee’s version.The President has threatened to veto legislation that exceeds his spending recommendations.
US Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Crack Sentencing Case
The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments on the minimum federal sentencing for crack cocaine convictions compared to the sale of powdered cocaine. Critics have charged that the sentencing disparity between crack and powdered cocaine is racially biased, because crack users tend to be people of color while users of powdered cocaine are more likely to be white. The same penalty applies for selling five grams of crack as for selling 500 grams of powdered cocaine. In taking the case, the Court focused on the issue of judicial discretion over sentencing rather than the question of the law's constitutionality. The US Sentencing Commission recently recommended changing these laws, which passed in the 1980’s during the height of the crack epidemic. See:
More People Seeking Help for Drug Use Disorders
The percentage of US residents seeking help for their drug use disorders increased from 1992 to 2002, according to a recent analysis of data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). In 2002 (the most recent year for which data are available), 6.1 percent of US residents who met the criteria for substance use disorders reported that they had sought treatment or help for their disorder, compared to 4.1 percent in 1992. An even greater increase was found for those meeting the criteria for substance dependence -- 30.7 percent reported seeking treatment in 2002, compared to 19.5 percent a decade earlier. While these are statistically significant increases, the report notes that treatment rates for drug use disorders are substantially lower than corresponding treatment rates of other major psychiatric disorders.
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Addiction Groups Influence Corporate Decision Making
The decision by Anheuser-Busch to pull its fruity “Spykes” drink mixers from the market represents another in a series of significant victories by the addiction field in confronting what advocates consider irresponsible marketing by big corporations. After weeks of escalating complaints by public health groups and a coalition of state attorneys general, Anheuser-Busch announced that it was withdrawing Spykes from the market. The company continued to dispute assertions that Spykes was marketed to underage drinkers, but company chairman August Busch acknowledged that parental concerns played a role in the decision to remove the product from the shelves. Many of these same groups were involved in a previously successful advocacy campaign that resulted in Anheuser-Busch withdrawing their "Bud Pong" games from the marketplace and ending their sponsorship of "Beer Pong" tournaments.
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Most Treatment Centers Offer Programs for Specific Client Groups
The vast majority of substance abuse treatment facilities are providing special programs tailored to such clients as adolescents, seniors, post-partum mothers, and people with HIV/AIDS, according to a survey just released by SAMHSA. Nearly three-quarters of even the smallest facilities offered at least one special program or group. The most commonly reported special program was for clients with co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders (38 percent). About one-third of the 13,371 facilities that responded to the annual survey of public and private facilities in the United States offered special programs for adult women (33 percent) or adolescents (32 percent). About 83 percent of all responding facilities reported offering at least one special treatment program. The percentage was slightly higher (88 percent) for large facilities, which treat 120 or more clients, although 72 percent of facilities that treated fewer than 15 clients also offered a special program. The special programs or groups reported in the survey varied by the type of care – hospital inpatient, outpatient and non-hospital residential – but programs for those with co-occurring disorders or for adult women were consistently among the most frequently reported. Other special programs addressed the needs of those arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs or driving while intoxicated (31 percent), other criminal justice clients (28 percent), adult men (25 percent), pregnant or post-partum women (14 percent), people with HIV/AIDS
(11 percent), seniors (7 percent) and gays/lesbians (6 percent).
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SAMHSA Releases Study on Self-Reporting of Drug Use
Researchers who compared self-reports of tobacco and other drug use with urine and hair samples found that most users accurately reported their own consumption. The SAMHSA report, “Comparing Drug Testing and Self Report of Drug Use Among Youths and Young Adults in the General Population,” found that self-reports and urine tests for past-30-days smoking were in agreement 84.6 percent of the time. For marijuana, the agreement rate was 89.8 percent. Urine tests and self-reports of cocaine use in the past seven days were in agreement 98.5 percent of the time. See:
GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
DHHS/HRSA: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
The US Health Services and Resources Administration has posted a Request for Applications for its Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders grants. Deadline: July 20, 2007.
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DHHS/ACF: Compassion Capital Fund
The US Department of Health and Human Services/Administration for Children and Families has posted a Request for Applications for its Compassion Capital Fund Communities Empowering Youth Program. Deadline: July 10, 2007. See:
RWJF/Advancing Recovery
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has posted a Request for Applications for its Advancing Recovery Grants (Round Two). The grants require partnerships among state agencies and treatment providers.
Deadline: August 16, 2007. See:
Youth Services America
Youth Services America has posted a Request for Applications for its Micro Grants.
Deadline: August 13, 2007. See:
M-A-C AIDS Fund
The M-A-C AIDS fund has posted a Request for Applications for projects in a number of areas, including promoting prevention methods among high-risk populations. Deadline: Various.
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JOB OPENINGS
Arizona Council of Human Service Providers
The Arizona Council of Human Service Providers is in search of a new CEO. Applicants interested in the position should send by e-mail or mail a cover letter, resume, and three recent letters of reference to:
Timothy Dunst, Touchstone Behavioral Health, 8607 N. 59th, Ave, Suite D, Glendale Arizona 85302.
E-mail:, phone: 623-209-0260.
RESOURCES
SAMHSA: Addressing Co-Occurring Disorders in Non-Traditional Service Settings: Overview Paper 4.
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SAMHSA: Understanding Evidence-Based Practices for Co-Occurring Disorders: Overview Paper 5.
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NIDA/SAMHSA/ATTC: Successful Treatment Outcomes Using Motivational Incentives.
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ONDCP: Teens, Drugs and Violence: A Special Report.
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Boston University: Alcohol and Health: Current Evidence.
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US Department of Labor: Working Partners for an Alcohol- and Drug-Free Workplace website.
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ONLINE COURSES
The Addiction Technology Transfer Centers has posted a number of new offerings:
Advanced Ethics: Special Topics.
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Alcohol the Chemical.
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Booting Up the System: Case Management Models, Principles and Practices.
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Criminal Addicts or Addicted Criminals? Theories of the Drug-Crime Relationship.
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Drug Treatment Courts: An Integrated Approach.
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Drugs and the Brain: The Neurobiology of Addiction.
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Ethical Practice for Counseling Professionals.
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Group Drug Counseling.
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Major Treatment Issues for Offenders Who Use Substances.
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The Offender and Addiction: Clinical Case Management.
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The Offender and Addiction: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
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Other Drugs of Abuse.
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Screening and Assessment of Clients in the Criminal Justice System.
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Strategies to Increase Referrals from Managed Care/EAPs/PPOs.
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Substance Abuse Screening and Assessment in Criminal Justice: A Course of Study.
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Treating Clients in the Criminal Justice System.
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Treatment Needs and Strategies for Individuals in Various Criminal Justice Settings.
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Understanding the Addictive Process.
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