On March 18, 2021 NCAAR-BH Policy Analyst, Ed Martone, submitted remarks on the proposed Fiscal Year 2022 State Budget to the Senate and Assembly Budget Committees, as follows:
Thank
you for the opportunity to address our comments on the proposed FY 2022 State
Budget.
The
National Center for Advocacy and Recovery for Behavioral Health (NCAAR-BH)
(formerly the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence - New Jersey
(NCADD-NJ) is a New Jersey-based incorporated, private non-profit organization.
NCAAR-BH enjoys an expertise in public policy and education, care coordination,
and recovery leadership. Its goal is to advance the implementation and
maintenance of a recovery-oriented system of care for individuals struggling
with addictions.
The
coronavirus has made a ruin of our health and economy. Prior to the COVID-19
pandemic, the Garden State was gripped by an epidemic of opioid use resulting
in a troubling rise in overdoses caused in part by the introduction, and
acceleration, of fentanyl to the state's illegal drug supply.
Stresses
related to the COVID-19 crisis, such as economic strains, as well as
pandemic-related isolation and other factors hindering treatment and support
for individuals with substance use issues, have contributed to the current rise
in drug and alcohol misuse, relapses, and overdoses.
It
has been reported that a little over 3,000 lives were lost in 2020 due to drug
overdoses. In this January and February, another 540 people succumbed to drug
overdoses.
The
NJ Legislature has for years understood that addictions are health matters and
ought to be dealt with as such. Governor Phil Murphy's proposed Budget builds
upon the refinement in policy that has been the foundation for the
Legislature's, and his, approach to this crisis. The lens through which every
proposal should be seen is: How will this assist folks in attaining, and
maintaining, long-term recovery?
It
is our view, that a number of proposals put forth in Governor Murphy's State
Budget are deserving of your support.
*
Enhancement of
the availability of the overdose reversal drug, naloxone
*
An additional $1m
for harm reduction projects
*
$6.8m to end the
General Assistance benefits ban for certain drug offenders
*
An additional $9m
in the N.J. Dept. of Labor for its Pathways to Recovery Initiative to provide
support and training to participants who have become separated from employment
due to the opioid crisis
*
$1m to expand
County Drug Overdose Fatality Review Teams statewide
*
$1.3m to
implement a single license for integrated primary and substance use disorder
treatment Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully
submitted,
Edward
Martone
Policy
Analyst
