tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138744752024-02-07T01:12:15.265-05:00NCAAR-BH Blog The purpose of this blog is to create an online community and social network around the issues of addiction prevention, treatment and recovery.ATDWNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01885006958455942884noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13874475.post-77980466263013588322022-01-19T12:36:00.002-05:002022-01-19T13:00:22.315-05:00 MAKE AMERICA WELL AGAIN (REDUX) <br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />The 2021 state Legislative Term has ended with many positive initiatives enacted in to law. Most elected and appointed officials in New Jersey are aware of the extent of the behavioral health problems faced by many of their constituents. The acknowledgement of the failure of the War on Drugs, along with the understanding that the COVID-19 epidemic has worsened people’s recovery from mental health and substance use issues, has driven most decision-makers to seek out more practical and humane ways of responding to the addictions crisis. The following are some of the bills that were signed in to law during the recently ended Legislative Term that are addictions and recovery-related:</p></blockquote><p> </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiO3KCfOG9Xen5cJ_xmvQQ8LDOYb0iGd5OrwoY19QyG8YdRpL0zEQGYf2N0vmAuz-aoVfU22Ayx6fGOKo56XJGzpw9wr1RcNLgT0t62_OHizUCiDgdU78E9IOnf55G_uljQ9_RH2arFfwc_AuHcFD5ddDHunTvVcivDlnzeb2sAVYPvQ66x8IA=s290" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="147" data-original-width="290" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiO3KCfOG9Xen5cJ_xmvQQ8LDOYb0iGd5OrwoY19QyG8YdRpL0zEQGYf2N0vmAuz-aoVfU22Ayx6fGOKo56XJGzpw9wr1RcNLgT0t62_OHizUCiDgdU78E9IOnf55G_uljQ9_RH2arFfwc_AuHcFD5ddDHunTvVcivDlnzeb2sAVYPvQ66x8IA" width="290" /></a></div><p></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="m_-4017971161423601698MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>S.3491 – Permits any person to acquire, furnish or administer to another individual opioid <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>antidotes, and allows a pharmacist to dispense an opioid antidote without a prescription<u></u><u></u></p><p class="m_-4017971161423601698MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>S.3491 – Authorizes paramedics to administer buprenorphine<u></u><u></u></p><p class="m_-4017971161423601698MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>A.5595 – Requires the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs and all pharmacies to maintain a prescription <span> </span><span> </span>drug retail price list that includes opioid antidotes<u></u><u></u></p><p class="m_-4017971161423601698MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>A.2280 – Prohibits a person from knowingly furnishing, or receiving, remuneration in connection <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>with the referral of patients to substance use disorder treatment facilities.<u></u><u></u></p><p class="m_-4017971161423601698MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>S.2323 – Mandates that an opioid antidote be prescribed to a patient at the same time as the <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>patient is issued a prescription for an opioid drug when certain risk factors are present<u></u><u></u></p><p class="m_-4017971161423601698MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>A.798 – Establishes a Drug Fatality Review Board in each county<u></u><u></u></p><p class="m_-4017971161423601698MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>A.4847 – Authorizes and supports the expansion of needle exchange program in the state<u></u><u></u></p><p class="m_-4017971161423601698MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>S.3493 – Decriminalizes the possession of syringes<u></u><u></u></p><p class="m_-4017971161423601698MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>A.3007 - Requires each public and private college and university to provide students with access to <span> </span><span> </span>mental health services, and to establish a hotline to provide information concerning the availability <span> </span><span> </span>of those programs. The operators of the hotline shall be trained to provide counseling services <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>involving substance misuse, personal stress management, and other psychological disorders that <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>may be likely to adversely affect the well-being of students<u></u><u></u></p><p class="m_-4017971161423601698MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>S.2801 - Mandates that the Police Training Commission contract with a crisis intervention training <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>center to provide behavioral health instruction to police officers and establish a curriculum specific <span> </span><span> </span>to individuals experiencing economic crisis or substance use disorder<u></u><u></u></p><p class="m_-4017971161423601698MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>S.3800 – Mandates insurance carriers to provide health coverage for opioid antidotes without <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>requiring prior authorization<u></u><u></u></p><p class="m_-4017971161423601698MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>A.5597 – Allows school districts to administer anonymous, volunteer surveys concerning student <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>health issues once prior written notification has been provided to parents and legal guardians. <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Specifically, the school district would be able to administer a questionnaire concerning the use of <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and vaping; sexual behavior and attitudes; behaviors that may contribute <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>to intentional or unintentional injuries or violence; or physical activity and nutrition-related <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>behaviors<u></u><u></u></p><p class="m_-4017971161423601698MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>S.2559 – Among other provisions, requires health insurance reimbursement rates for telehealth <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>consultations, be on a par with those for in-person visits<u></u><u></u></p><p class="m_-4017971161423601698MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>S.2953 – Removes the eligibility ban on applying for General Assistance and Emergency Housing <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Assistance for individuals with drug distribution (or intent to distribute) convictions – The measure <span> </span><span> <span> </span></span>further provides reentry services for prisoners leaving county jails<u></u><u></u></p><p class="m_-4017971161423601698MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Notwithstanding meaningful strides taken in enshrining enlightened recovery policies in the law in recent <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>times, more remains unfinished. Some of these needed initiatives include:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="m_-4017971161423601698MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>The state’s drug laws should be re-examined and revised<u></u><u></u></p><p class="m_-4017971161423601698MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>Behavioral health training of nursing home staff<u></u><u></u></p><p class="m_-4017971161423601698MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>Continued expungement reform<u></u><u></u></p><p class="m_-4017971161423601698MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>Expanded availability of opioid overdose reversal drugs in various public spaces, i.e. theaters, <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>arenas, buses, trains, libraries, homeless shelters, universities, etc.<u></u><u></u></p><p class="m_-4017971161423601698MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>Decriminalize the possession of all drugs<u></u><u></u></p><p class="m_-4017971161423601698MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>Dedicate monies from pharmaceutical settlements toward substance disorder programs<u></u><u></u></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="m_-4017971161423601698MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"> </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;">The staff and volunteer Advocates are dedicated to continuing the work of ensuring the addiction policies in the </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;">Garden State embrace healing and rejuvenation. <br /></span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"> <br /></span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"> </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: small;"> </span></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;">Ed Martone</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">Policy Analyst </p></blockquote><p class="m_-4017971161423601698MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;"><u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px;"><u></u></p>ATDWNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01885006958455942884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13874475.post-74994764009430636062021-11-17T07:23:00.021-05:002021-11-17T07:35:41.239-05:00 CANDIDATE SURVEY – THE SEQUEL<p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaO659qAAYwGZyS2QziRZzWIBKlIdofDdxzkLwVzmMkIUHrF1jnXHBJjSSxJ43kJsTWUPoPYWBrjL00V3IUZhdsGDZjbRsDAiQk-qyxDO62bJJq78Chx77sIcQzqm2EqRh-EzHXg/s720/Final+Official+Logo+%2528White+Background+Transparent%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaO659qAAYwGZyS2QziRZzWIBKlIdofDdxzkLwVzmMkIUHrF1jnXHBJjSSxJ43kJsTWUPoPYWBrjL00V3IUZhdsGDZjbRsDAiQk-qyxDO62bJJq78Chx77sIcQzqm2EqRh-EzHXg/w138-h138/Final+Official+Logo+%2528White+Background+Transparent%2529.png" width="138" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #073763;">In years when one, or both, houses of the state Legislature are up for election, NCAARBH conducts a survey of the candidates on issues of addiction and recovery policies. This year 58 candidates responded to the questionnaire, the highest number ever. In an earlier Blog, I analyzed the answers from the candidates who participated. This Blog reviews the responses from the 38 who were elected. Of the 38, 20 are Democrats, while 18 are Republicans. Note: Not every respondent answered every question. Further, of the 38 respondents who were elected, 35 are incumbents. Finally, of the 38, 24 were elected to the Assembly and 14 were elected to the Senate. Of the 38 winning candidates:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"><u></u></span></p><p class="m_3164526037644679695MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>32 believe substance use disorders are preventable and treatable chronic illnesses<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="m_3164526037644679695MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>32 would support adequate funding of treatment and recovery services<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="m_3164526037644679695MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>23 would support a review of the state’s drug laws with an eye toward reform<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="m_3164526037644679695MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"> On Decriminalization<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="m_3164526037644679695MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>9 would support the decriminalization of all low-level drug use, possession and sales<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="m_3164526037644679695MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>7 would support the decriminalization of all low-level drug use and possession, but not sales (a <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>number indicated a need for an exception for minors)<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="m_3164526037644679695MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>11 do not support the decriminalization of all low-level possession of drugs<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="m_3164526037644679695MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>11 are undecided and would like to learn more<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.25in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"> <span> </span>A sizable majority of respondents would support certain initiatives to help individuals in their recovery, <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>including:<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="m_3164526037644679695MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>28 endorse continued criminal record expungement reform<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="m_3164526037644679695MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>29 endorse tax credits for employers who hire people in recovery<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="m_3164526037644679695MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>26 believe in enhanced financial aid and program assistance to communities disparately impacted <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>by the War on Drugs<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="m_3164526037644679695MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>35 would reduce court-ordered fees and fines for persons who successfully complete a treatment or <span> </span><span> </span>diversion program<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="m_3164526037644679695MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>38 would support an expanded use of peer recovery services<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="m_3164526037644679695MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"> A significant majority of questionnaire respondents would support sufficient government funding <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>to expand the use of naloxone to reverse a drug overdose:<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="m_3164526037644679695MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>27 on public transportation<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="m_3164526037644679695MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>23 in public libraries<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="m_3164526037644679695MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>29 on college and university campuses<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="m_3164526037644679695MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>32 in homeless shelters<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="m_3164526037644679695MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"> A further majority endorse:<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="m_3164526037644679695MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>33 mandating that every pharmacy maintain a minimum supply of an opioid overdose reversal drug<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="m_3164526037644679695MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>38 authorizing EMTs to dispense naloxone<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="m_3164526037644679695MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"><u></u><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><u></u>22 requiring a supply of naloxone in other public spaces, e.g. stadiums, arenas, theaters, etc.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="m_3164526037644679695MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"><br /></span></p><p class="m_3164526037644679695MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"> You can view the answers of any of the state legislative candidates to our<a href="https://ncaarbh.nationbuilder.com/candidate_surveys_2021" target="_blank"> Election Questionnaire here</a><u></u></span></p><p class="m_3164526037644679695MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763;"><u></u> </span></p>ATDWNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01885006958455942884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13874475.post-56228971997966826752021-10-18T10:02:00.002-04:002021-10-20T14:11:05.680-04:00SURVEY SAYS...<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zb8hN9FvUPp9hMyi_39_a7O7_DtCAKqAalBMU4ps2Iv02zyOlzMxmFXj21qKSC3zPlynNPYwsh6aFwGAKJpnwFqCkSn-tdfHTPbrKc0ZCtgOK68aQtkDr6PCcqCiWAnNV7D9Vw/s198/Survey+says.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="124" data-original-width="198" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zb8hN9FvUPp9hMyi_39_a7O7_DtCAKqAalBMU4ps2Iv02zyOlzMxmFXj21qKSC3zPlynNPYwsh6aFwGAKJpnwFqCkSn-tdfHTPbrKc0ZCtgOK68aQtkDr6PCcqCiWAnNV7D9Vw/s0/Survey+says.jpg" width="198" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">In years when one, or both, houses of the state Legislature
are up for election, NCAARBH conducts a survey of the candidates on issues of
addictions policies. This year, all 120 seats are up in the NJ Assembly and
Senate,, and the candidates were mailed the questionnaire in mid-August. It is
intended to gauge general policy inclinations rather than pinpoint support or
opposition for specific legislative proposals. It also serves as an
introduction for some as to the concerns of the behavioral health community.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">NCAARBH neither endorses candidates for office nor
contributes donations to political campaigns. A candidate’s response is scanned
and posted on our website. The remarks are not critiqued nor given a grade or
rating. The 2021 NJ Assembly and Senate Addiction Prevention, treatment and
Recovery Survey is designed to assist voters in comparing candidates’ positions
on drug dependence-related public policies.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Of the 57 candidates who responded to our survey: (Not all
respondents answered every question)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->48 believe substance use disorders are
preventable and treatable chronic illnesses<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->53 would support adequate funding of treatment
and recovery services<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->42 would support a review of the state’s drug
laws with an eye toward reform<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph"><b><u>On Decriminalization</u></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->13 would support the decriminalization of all
low-level drug use, possession and sales<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->16 would support the decriminalization of all
low-level drug use and possession, but not sales<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph">A number indicated a need for an exception for
minors.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->17 do not support the decriminalization of all
low-level possession of drugs<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->15 are undecided and would like to learn more<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph">A sizeable majority of respondents would support
certain initiatives to help individuals in their recovery, including:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->41 endorse continued criminal record expungement
reform<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->47 endorse tax credits for employers who hire
people in recovery<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->40 believe in enhanced financial aid and program
assistance to communities disparately impacted by the War on Drugs<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->52 would reduce court-ordered fees and fines for
persons who successfully complete a treatment or diversion program<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->55 support an expanded use of peer recovery
services<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph">A significant majority of questionnaire respondents
would support sufficient government funding to expand the use of naloxone to
reverse a drug overdose:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->37 on public transportation<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->34 in public libraries<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->47 on college and university campuses<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->48 in homeless shelters<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph">A further majority endorse:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->49 mandating that every pharmacy maintain a
minimum supply of an opioid overdose reversal drug<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->55 authorizing EMTs to dispense naloxone<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->33 requiring a supply of naloxone in other
public spaces, e.g. stadiums, arenas, theaters, etc.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph">My next blog will be after Election Day (Nov. 2,
2021) in which I’ll analyze the questionnaire answers given by the winning
candidates.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph">To view the answers of any of the state legislative
candidates to:</p><p class="MsoListParagraph"><a href="https://ncaarbh.nationbuilder.com/candidate_surveys_2021" target="_blank">2021 Candidate Surveys</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraph">The level of candidate participation in the Survey,
along with the deeper understanding of the complexities of the addiction
problem is encouraging. The acknowledgement among a sizable majority of
legislative candidates, that a sickness is better treated than punished, and
that this approach requires a commitment of resources, gives advocates a
foundation from which to work.</p><p class="MsoListParagraph"><o:p></o:p></p>ATDWNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01885006958455942884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13874475.post-6896672219774991542021-10-08T09:48:00.005-04:002021-10-08T09:57:00.481-04:00WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVP_U-f2MwQltpHBbnTCu_8Q99rXtCS-d-3-BxCP4rMyWQYzAKok942U80qnJrHPV_OygPj_ABfNTfBcYX1Xno5yLiYqKXfDwqgiSsZOkyN2F0wG58zy_3EHAhdbJH2vT1t2Wpyw/s630/BloggerWheels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="630" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVP_U-f2MwQltpHBbnTCu_8Q99rXtCS-d-3-BxCP4rMyWQYzAKok942U80qnJrHPV_OygPj_ABfNTfBcYX1Xno5yLiYqKXfDwqgiSsZOkyN2F0wG58zy_3EHAhdbJH2vT1t2Wpyw/s320/BloggerWheels.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: times;">A</span>ny good lobbyist will tell you your proposal is doomed to
fail, regardless of what your issue is. It’s simple math. Approximately 10,000
bills are introduced in to a typical two-year term of the NJ Legislature, with
a few hundred making it through the legislative process and signed by the
governor. King Minos in ancient Crete ordered the building of a labyrinth to
keep the Minotaur (or anyone else who entered) from ever exiting unscathed at
the other end. One sees the regal hand of Minos in the design of the
legislative abattoir/maze that must be traveled in order to experience the
realization of a recommended public policy.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is what impresses when reviewing the many measures that
have, either moved a considerable way through the legislative process, or been
enacted, just in the past few months dealing with behavioral health and
recovery. Prior to the Legislature’s summer recess, a number of these bills
either got closer to the finish line, or actually made it across. These
included: </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->S.2953/A.4785</b> – Provides reentry services for
prisoners being released from county jails, and removes the eligibility ban on
General Assistance benefits for individuals with drug distribution convictions
– <i>On the Governor’s desk</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>
</b></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b>S.3801/A.5597</b> – Authorizes school districts to
conduct student health surveys – <i><u>Enacted </u></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>
</b></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b>A.5703/S.3800</b> – Mandates health insurance
coverage for naloxone without prior authorization requirements – <i><u>Enacted</u></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->A.5457/S.3491</b> – Permits anyone to administer or
distribute naloxone – <i><u>Enacted</u></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->S.3802/A.5595</b> – Naloxone placed on the Division
of Consumer Affair’s retail price list – <i><u>Enacted</u></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>
</b></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b>S.3867/A.5868</b> – Dedicates pharmaceutical
litigation settlement monies toward drug prevention and treatment programs – <i>On
the Governor’s desk</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->A.970/S.2259</b> – Establishes a Mental Health
Screening in Schools Grant Program – <i><u>Enacted</u></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->S.2559/A.4200/A.4179</b> – Mandates insurance
reimbursement rates for telemedicine be on a par with those for in-person
visits – <i>On the Governor’s desk</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>
</b></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b>A.4221</b> – Requires the Office of Information
Technology to establish a centralized, one-stop website resource guide to assist
persons in navigating the state’s mental health and substance use disorder
service systems – <i>In Appropriations Committee</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>
</b></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b>A.5507/S.3319</b> - Eliminates certain monetary
penalties for juveniles in the criminal justice system, including: the Drug
Enforcement on Demand (DEDR) fee, and the costs of an approved remedial
education or counseling program to which the juvenile is diverted – <i>Passed the
Senate, in Assembly Appropriations Committee</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>
</b></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b>S.52/A.798</b> – Establishes Drug Fatality Review
Boards in each county – <i>Passed the Assembly, on the Senate Floor, then back to
the Assembly Floor for concurrence</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>
</b></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b>A.1919/S.250 </b>– Prohibits landlords from
discriminating against tenant applicants with a criminal history –<i><u> Enacted </u></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>
</b></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b>A.5641/S.3658 </b>– Eliminates mandatory minimum
sentence for a non-violent offense – <i>Conditionally vetoed</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>
</b></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b>A.2649/S.892</b> – Mandates training in behavioral
health issues for nursing home staff – <i>On Assembly Floor, in Senate Health
Committee</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>
</b></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b>A.5754</b> – Requires the Department of Corrections
to issue an annual report to the Legislature on a number of items, including
the number of prisoners with behavioral health disorders – <i>Passed the Assembly,
in Senate Law and Public Safety Committee</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>
</b></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b>S.3493/A.5458</b> – Legalizes possession and
distribution of syringes – Passed the Senate, <i>in Assembly Judiciary Committee<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>
</b></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b>S.3400/A.5052</b> – Authorizes EMTs to dispense
naloxone – On Assembly Floor, i<i>n Senate Health Committee</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b>A.275/S.1112</b> – Reduces court-ordered fines for
anyone successfully completing a drug treatment or diversion program – <i>Passed
the Assembly, in Senate Judiciary Committee</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>
</b></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b>S.3009/A.4847</b> – Expands the number of needle
exchange programs in the state – <i>In Senate Budget Committee, in Assembly Health
Committee</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;"><b>
</b></span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b>A.4901/S.3065</b> – Permits syringes to be mailed – In
Assembly Health Committee, <i>on Senate Floor</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b>A.5565</b> – Establishes a Behavioral Health Crisis
Mobile Response project – <i>In Appropriations Committee</i><o:p></o:p></p>ATDWNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01885006958455942884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13874475.post-53211742592803184762021-09-30T10:08:00.003-04:002021-09-30T10:08:48.996-04:00A Life Sentence: Rory’s True Story<p> I walked up to the window at the county jail and asked if my son could use his knee brace in the jail. The guard answered with absolutely no emotion, “WE TAKE EVERYTHING!” I walked away thinking, no truer words have ever been spoken. My son turned himself in and all the way home all I could think of was the guard’s words and the nightmare of a journey we had been on.<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4gYp39D5-WawwsKSdE3QksFt69w46d7YgM4fWBiHcuk3d9xThpd5awWXsAtifF3bTJl3SRsvppn4OzmFb-8PhD_rS4n4fdoZ_gHSFE2ccpw1RTU4Xec9F9NORWS2LzrSUb2TarA/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1011" data-original-width="562" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4gYp39D5-WawwsKSdE3QksFt69w46d7YgM4fWBiHcuk3d9xThpd5awWXsAtifF3bTJl3SRsvppn4OzmFb-8PhD_rS4n4fdoZ_gHSFE2ccpw1RTU4Xec9F9NORWS2LzrSUb2TarA/" width="133" /> </a></div><p></p><p>My son’s involvement with criminal justice began a week after his 18th birthday. He was charged with 3rd degree possession that led to years of probation violations for positive drug tests and more non-violent possession charges for his personal use. He was trapped in a punitive system that did far more damage than good. Years of the same mandatory treatment for substance use never addressed the underlying issues that ultimately lead him to self-medicating.</p><p>In the beginning, like many families, I had hoped that accountability and forced treatment would result in recovery. What happened was the opposite. He became an outcast in our community and most of the family was angry because his struggle to find recovery affected how they were judged in the community. Every failure to get well was criminalized which made him cope the only way he knew how, more substances.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirlgCe-vMkZjU-kXsaog84oLikxLLSORHwcFOWUbFAgrG57CX0X5pYpNaebAl74GR-7Bxb6oXj5Q4UnVPeeWYl2uEh6fic18p655_RZlRjhCYw4rRcRIYhQ-jkQpiWGfY9GsLGAA/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="556" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirlgCe-vMkZjU-kXsaog84oLikxLLSORHwcFOWUbFAgrG57CX0X5pYpNaebAl74GR-7Bxb6oXj5Q4UnVPeeWYl2uEh6fic18p655_RZlRjhCYw4rRcRIYhQ-jkQpiWGfY9GsLGAA/" width="181" /></a>He was diagnosed with ADHD and bi-polar disorder in his teens, but the only treatment focus was on his substance use. No one discussed medications with him or re-evaluated him while on medications in his 11 years in the system. Addressing trauma from jail and prison and the 40 friends and acquaintances he lost was never part of any treatment plan. No one talked about his multiple overdoses and asked him if he ever wished he would die to escape the pain.</p><p>At 29 years old, he was not permitted to leave the state since he became an adult. No vacations, no job opportunities in other areas, missing grandparents’ funerals, etc. </p><p>He wanted to be a commercial fisherman since he was 6 years old, but it is a field that can be high risk for individuals with substance use disorder, so it was not allowed. Instead of treating the underlying issues and using his passion as a motivator to stay well he was denied the only thing he ever cared about, leading to debilitating depression and punishment for being unable to function and meet court requirements. Non-compliance was a violation, punished by MORE treatment or prison.</p><p>Mental health symptoms got worse over the years, despite going to approximately 20 treatment programs. His hopelessness and overwhelming grief for the life he dreamed of since he was a young boy fills me with sadness. The system imprisoned him for the last 11 years! </p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VknbGyTkmqFvjutysdpZVrU708Slcx8p3CPQc2Hq3ISIs52rbzu7oAfu7iVMCxyx_OFwFojHR3THxMMsGpAfNVYF4bJ6tcE7VRgAKf3qkJ98S087WADboWmHBliBbDoYoBgUgw/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1870" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VknbGyTkmqFvjutysdpZVrU708Slcx8p3CPQc2Hq3ISIs52rbzu7oAfu7iVMCxyx_OFwFojHR3THxMMsGpAfNVYF4bJ6tcE7VRgAKf3qkJ98S087WADboWmHBliBbDoYoBgUgw/" width="219" /></a></p><p></p><p>And now it has taken him from me. My dynamic and hysterically funny son, with a generous heart, recently lost his battle with mental health and substance use disorders. When Rory sought help for his disease, he instead received punishment. Rather than criminalizing his illness, a more refined and caring treatment response might have helped our family avoid this unspeakably tragic loss.</p><p><br /></p><p>Tonia Ahern</p><p>Mother and Advocate</p>ATDWNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01885006958455942884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13874475.post-28210689344640233412021-07-13T13:33:00.015-04:002021-07-13T13:51:51.306-04:00A Woman’s Recovery<p> </p><p align="center" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="color: #414040;">One of our Advocacy Leaders, Melissa O’Mara, recently described her on-going recovery efforts in a
C4 Recovery Solutions podcast.</span><span style="color: #414040;"> </span><span style="color: #414040;">She
discussed the assistance she received from NCAAR’s Substance Abuse Initiative
(SAI) program and how she has dedicated her career toward helping others
seeking to attain and maintain long-term recovery from addiction.</span></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="color: #414040;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">--------------------------------------</p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #414040;">I’m twenty-eight years
old. I grew up in Hackettstown, New Jersey, which is in Warren County. I
currently live in Burlington County, New Jersey. And I’m an assistant
prosecutor and have been since September of 2018. I’m a person in long-term
recovery from drugs and alcohol since August 30</span><sup style="color: #414040;">th</sup><span style="color: #414040;"> of 2011. I
basically got involved with C4 before I even knew that I was involved with C4
based on their participation in building a program in the state of New Jersey,
which got me on the path to recovery.</span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #414040;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #414040;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In 2011, I was living in
homeless shelters, living on the street, bouncing in and out of treatment for
my drug use, and I was visiting the local welfare office in Warren County, New
Jersey, where I grew up, trying to get services. And at that time, they said
they had a program that was for women who had substance use disorders who were
seeking treatment. And I, at first, was hesitant. But they linked me up with
the individual who was to be my guide through this program that they had
implemented in the welfare offices. And when I was ready, he helped me get into
treatment. And I think, during that time, I was in a really acute phase of my
addiction. I was using heroin and cocaine, IV drug use on a daily basis. I was
not employed. I was unemployable. I was going to college at the time, but
because of my use, the college was on the verge of kicking me out. And my
family had completely disowned me. So, the only people that were on my side at
this time was the individual who I met within the welfare office.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #414040;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #414040;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">When I showed up
unannounced on their doorstep on August 28<sup>th</sup> of 2011 and told
them that I wanted to go to treatment for the umpteenth time and that I didn’t
want to live—because the night before, I tried to kill myself—instead of just
shooing me away like many others at that point were, because I was an
individual who bounced in and out of treatment, they – they really didn’t look
at me like a burden on society and they said, “We know what you’re facing. We
know what you’re going through. And we have a treatment for that issue if
you’re willing to take it at this time.”</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background: white; color: #414040; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">So, I ended up entering a detox facility.
Actually, funny timing. During the time that I actually went into treatment
through SAI, it was during Hurricane Irene in New Jersey, and the treatment center
I was going to was underwater. But I still was connected to detox, still got
there, and then went right into a thirty-day </span><span style="color: #414040; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">program<span style="background: white;">, continued into a halfway house, and eventually made
my way into sober living. So, I sailed right through. And as I had discussed
earlier, I had never done that before. I was that person who was in the
revolving door of detox, IOP, just never being able to get a continuum of care
or get the services that I required.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #414040;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #414040;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">What made me go back when
I finally did want help was that they were kind to me. They were understanding.
Something that was different this time, because I had been to many treatment programs,
both long-term adolescent treatment, other outpatient services before, this
time, instead of going just to detox and being released or going just to
inpatient and being released, I was met with a continuum of care. So, I went
from the SAI office to a detox, to an inpatient program, to a halfway house, to
a sober living house, which really stepped me down and reintegrated me into the
community and really helped me rebuild the skills that I didn’t have, because I
never had them, because I was a teenager and never developed them. And then,
really put me on a path where, once I was in remission from my substance use
disorder, I was able to get back successfully into college, resume my classes,
figure out who I was as a person, and figure out what I wanted to do and who I
wanted to be, which, eventually, I realized I wanted to go into law
enforcement. I wanted to work with people who were in my position, specifically
with women who might not have the financial resources available to them when
facing addiction.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #414040;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #414040;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In 2011, there was nothing
available, really, besides for this program. County funding was scarce. I
really was trying to navigate a system that I didn’t understand. So, even if
there were services out there, I wasn’t getting connected to them. And that’s
why I think having the service in the welfare office was so powerful, because
that’s where I ended up. I wasn’t being offered any services when I encountered
law enforcement. I wasn’t being given any services by anybody else within the
community at that time. So, this really had a direct impact and kind of got me
at a point where they could intervene face-to-face.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: #414040; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">For me, having NCADD [now NCAAR-BH] there and the staff within
the welfare offices really had an impact on me being able to move forward with
my life, because of their compassion and their understanding of addiction, so
much that not only did I want to contact them as I went through the process
early and treatment, but to this day I have the business card of that counselor
who put me in to that treatment back in 2011. And so, after five years, I
called him and thanked him for being there in that welfare office and giving me
the ability and the opportunity to recover. And then, you know, almost ten
years later, I didn’t want to throw it away, because it meant so much to me for
someone who understood and cared to be there.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #414040;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #414040;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The general public as well
as, you know, the community really had a misunderstanding of substance use
disorders. And, really, my view of how I was treated was that it was my moral
failing. And I think, over time, as well as getting into recovery, I really was
able to see a shift in the beliefs of my community and even the state of New
Jersey and the organizations within it, because we’ve really moved to this
addiction-as-a-disease model and that people who have the disease of addiction
are not just people who are choosing to use, but really have these underlying
conditions that are preventable and treatable. And so, that kind of growth has
been really helpful.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #414040;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #414040;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The biggest impediment
that I see to those women out there with children is really services for women
and women with children, they’re hard to access. These barriers pop up. And
without somebody being able to assist in overcoming those barriers, women are
deterred from getting recovery. So, having a program like this is something
that will help women across the board, no matter where you stand in your life.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #414040;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #414040;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I think my experience
going through addiction and being in recovery has made me a better law
enforcement officer, has made me a better prosecutor. SAI changed my life and
put me in a place where I had the ability and opportunity to recover. I’d been
given many chances to recover before, but I wasn’t presented the opportunity
with the actual backup of the services to actually successfully do that.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #414040;"><o:p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #414040;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Melissa O’Mara<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #414040;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Advocate Leader</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>ATDWNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01885006958455942884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13874475.post-9500455514480716562021-03-25T11:14:00.001-04:002021-03-25T11:14:15.925-04:00A CRISIS WITHIN A CRISIS<p> </p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">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:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Thank
you for the opportunity to address our comments on the proposed FY 2022 State
Budget.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">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?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">It
is our view, that a number of proposals put forth in Governor Murphy's State
Budget are deserving of your support.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">*<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Enhancement of
the availability of the overdose reversal drug, naloxone<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">*<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">An additional $1m
for harm reduction projects<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">*<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">$6.8m to end the
General Assistance benefits ban for certain drug offenders<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">*<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">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<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">*<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">$1m to expand
County Drug Overdose Fatality Review Teams statewide<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">*<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">$1.3m to
implement a single license for integrated primary and substance use disorder
treatment Thank you for your consideration.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Respectfully
submitted,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Edward
Martone<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Policy
Analyst<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>ATDWNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01885006958455942884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13874475.post-77434319106555588742021-01-19T08:42:00.002-05:002021-01-19T08:42:17.389-05:00COVID – 19 RELIEF PACKAGE<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">COVID – 19 RELIEF PACKAGE<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(based on information from the Natl. Assoc. for Addiction
Professionals)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Last month, with the 116<sup>th</sup> Congress drawing to a
close, lawmakers passed comprehensive government spending legislation that
provided $900b in coronavirus stimulus funds. After a prolonged, insensible
delay, President Trump signed the bill into law. The spending package extends
funding for federal agencies through Sept. 30, 2021, allocates spending
increases for programs at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA) and Health Resources and Services Administration
(HRSA), and provides $4.25b in emergency monies for substance use disorder and
mental health programs.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The package allotted investments in both addiction
infrastructure and programs, including:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">* Substance use treatment: $3.8b, an increase of $17m,
including continued funding for opioid prevention and treatment, including:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">_ $1.7b for Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block
Grant; and<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">_ $1.5b for State Opioid Response Grants.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">* Substance use prevention: $208m, an increase of $2m.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Health Workforce: $1.2b, an increase of $30m, for HRSA’s
Bureau of Health Professions programs, including:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">_ $112m for the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and
Training (BHWET) program, a $10m increase that also includes an allocation of
$13m for community based experiential training for students preparing to become
peer support specialists and other types of behavioral health-related
paraprofessionals; <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">_ $29.7m for the Mental and Substance Use Disorder Workforce
Training Demonstration program, with the $3m increase being allotted for new
grants to expand the number of nurse practitioners, physician assistants,
health service psychologists, and social workers trained to provide mental and
substance use disorder services in underserved community-based settings.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">_ $16m for the Loan Repayment program for Substance Use
Disorder Treatment Workforce, a $4m increase; and<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">_ $16.1m for Minority Fellowship Programs, a $2m increase.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The bipartisan COVID-19 relief portions of the spending
package also includes an additional $4.25b in emergency funding for substance
use and mental health programs above and beyond regular Fiscal Year 2021
spending, including the following: <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">_ $1.65b for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment
Block Grant.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">_ $1.65b for the Community Mental Health Services Block
Grant, with no less than half of the monies directed to behavioral health
providers.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">_ $600m for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic
(CCBHC) Expansion Grants to be allocated by SAMHSA. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">_ $240m in emergency grants to states.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The relief package also includes the following provisions:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">* Provider Relief Funds: Allots an additional $3b for
hospitals and health care providers. It also directs HHS to allocate not less
than 85 percent of unobliged funds in the Provider Relief Fund through an
application-based portal to reimburse providers for financial losses incurred
in 2020.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">* Community Mental Health Services Demonstration: The bill
extends a series of programs funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS), including the Certified Community Behavioral health Clinics
(CCBHC’s) Medicaid demonstration, until Sept. 30, 2023. CCBHCs are designed to
provide a comprehensive range of mental health and substance use disorder
services to vulnerable individuals.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">* Telehealth: Expands access to telemedicine services in
Medicare to allow beneficiaries to receive mental health services via
telehealth. It also appropriates monies for telemedicine and broadband grant
programs.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>ATDWNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01885006958455942884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13874475.post-17546859833204225222020-11-23T13:21:00.000-05:002020-11-23T13:21:05.803-05:00DECRIMINALIZATION POSITION<p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence – New
Jersey (NCADD-NJ) has clarified its stance on the question of decriminalization
of all illicit substances. While the agency does not endorse the legalization
(government allowing, providing or regulating) of drugs. NCADD-NJ does support
their decriminalization. The following policy statement explains that NCADD-NJ
does not believe anyone should receive either a criminal sentence/record nor
incarceration for the possession or use of drugs. Criminal proceedings should
be replaced by assessments and a referral to treatment when appropriate. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.4px;">NCADD-NJ holds a position that supports decriminalization of possession of marijuana and illicit substances for personal use. The stance is a carefully considered middle ground between the extremes of criminalization and legalization. It is the position of NCADD-NJ that addiction is a chronic disease and that the most appropriate and effective way to prevent and treat this disease is with an approach that is rooted in public health, not criminal justice. NCADD-NJ further believes that the criminalization of addiction and the collateral sanctions that the criminal justice system attaches to convictions for drug offenses (such as driver’s license suspensions, bars from receiving student loans, exclusions from certain professions and prohibitions against living in public housing) have often made it more difficult for recovering addicts to rejoin mainstream society. For these reasons, NCADD-NJ supports the decriminalization of the possession of illicit substances personal use, and specifically a public health approach that consists of decriminalization, drug education, evaluation and referral to treatment if necessary. NCADD-NJ’s purpose and mission have a history dating back to the inception of the National Council on Alcoholism (now NCADD) in 1944. Mrs. Marty Mann, the founder of that organization, from the beginning stated that there were three basic NCA concepts:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.4px;"> 1. Alcoholism is a disease and the alcoholic is a sick person. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.4px;"> 2. The alcoholic can be helped and is worth helping. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.4px;"> 3. This is a <b><u>public health problem</u></b> and therefore public responsibility.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.4px;"> NCADD-NJ still strongly believes in those three concepts and they inform the mission and the policy positions that the organization takes on various issues pertaining to all addictive substances. In recent times issues pertaining to the legalization of medical marijuana, or the general legalization of marijuana, have become increasingly debated. Over 40 states plus Washington, DC, have legalized medical marijuana and many states have legalized the sale of marijuana as a recreational substance. This movement towards the legalization of marijuana has made it imperative that NCADD-NJ make clear its position on the criminalization of addictive symptoms so as to not to confuse our support of decriminalization with that of total legalization. This movement towards legalization has polarized public opinion, making it important to stake out a position that is neither for the total criminalization of all addiction- related behaviors and activities on one hand, and the total legalization of all illicit drugs on the other. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.4px;">The "war on drugs," initiated in the 1970s, has resulted in the criminalization of behaviors related to addictive symptoms or a possible substance use disorder (SUD). It has gone beyond legal penalties for the sale and distribution of illicit substances. The mere possession and personal use of illicit substances has also been made a criminal offense. In fact, 82% of all drug related arrests in the United States were for simple possession. It is with this latter policy that NCADD-NJ takes issue. Possession arrests in 2016 equaled an astounding 32,263. Recognizing that addiction is a chronic disease and a public health problem, NCADD-NJ cannot support the criminalization of addictive symptoms. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.4px;">NCADD-NJ believes that the reliance on criminal and collateral sanctions to punish addiction related symptoms is counterproductive. This does not mean that other crimes related to addictive symptoms, or the sale and distribution of illicit substances, should not have criminal sanctions. That said, it must be noted that relatively small amounts of marijuana and other drugs have led to distribution charges. Behaviors limited to individual use should be considered part of the nature of addictive illness and should therefore be met primarily with public health, as opposed to a criminal justice response. There is another reason why NCADD-NJ opposes the criminalization of addictive symptoms in and of itself. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.4px;">Central to our mission is promoting recovery from a SUD. Sentencing laws have meant that individuals continue to be hampered by criminal records and collateral sanctions stemming solely from the possession and use of the substance to which they were addicted. This has had serious consequences for their ability to move forward and is a severe barrier to recovery and wellness. It has been shown that the ability to be engaged in productive employment is a major factor in successful recovery. Individuals with criminal records based solely on their actions while in active SUD face major barriers in obtaining employment and therefore have a more difficult time finding stable recovery. It is ironic that the "war on drugs," which was meant to end the drug problem, actually perpetuates it by introducing factors into an individual's life that make recovery less likely, and recidivism and continued use of illicit drugs more likely. NCADD-NJ supports a policy that would not criminalize substance use disorders in and of itself. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: #fff9ee; color: #222222; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.4px;">Our position is that simple possession of illicit substances should not result in any criminal penalties that could have a lasting negative impact, while civil penalties would act as a deterrent to underage usage. NCADD-NJ views the need for education, screening and referral for treatment if deemed clinically appropriate as a necessary part of any public health approach. In addition, a Recovery Oriented System of Care is believed to maximize long term recovery for those who suffer from an addictive illness. As stated earlier, the issue of what policies to adopt with regard to the use of illicit substances has polarized this country. On one side there are those who vehemently support the war on drugs and if anything implement increased sanctions. On the other are those who support the total legalization of marijuana as a recreational substance. NCADD-NJ does not believe that either position is viable. Although there is mounting evidence that the war on drugs has not been a success, NCADD-NJ's position on the issue is based primarily on its understanding that addiction is an illness and should be treated as a public health issue, and that no unnecessary barriers to recovery should be propagated. We believe that eliminating criminal penalties for the possession of illicit substances for personal use accomplishes that goal without making it a legal substance with regard to production, distribution and sale. Further, establishing an administrative system which supports and encourages treatment for substance use disorders moves the issue more appropriately into the public health arena. We hope that this middle ground approach will be seen as a viable alternative to the current extreme viewpoints. It is a position in keeping with the principles NCADD’s founder articulated over 75 years ago.</span> <o:p></o:p></p>ATDWNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01885006958455942884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13874475.post-90888101905995564892020-10-01T07:58:00.005-04:002020-10-01T07:58:00.261-04:00NCADD-NJ STATE BUDGET TESTIMONY (Oct. 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021)<p>Due to the coronavirus epidemic, along with the lack of any
financial assistance from the federal government, Garden State lawmakers
resorted to adopting an interim state Budget for the period of July 1, 2020
through Sept. 30, 2020. In Sept., the Assembly and Senate Budget Committees
accepted written public comments on fiscal year proposals covering Oct. 1, 2020
through June 30, 2021. Our agency, as well as, a number of our volunteer
Advocates, submitted comments. The following is the NCADD-NJ organizational
testimony:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence – NJ
(NCADD-NJ) is an incorporated non-profit organization operating in the Garden
State since 1982. NCADD-NJ works in partnership with, and on behalf of,
individuals, families, and communities affected by alcoholism and drug
dependence, to promote recovery. We have been working for more than thirty five
years to reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with addictive
illness. We have been strong advocates for public policies that increase access
to quality treatment and recovery services.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">NCADD-NJ also operates the Substance Abuse Initiative and
Behavioral Health Initiative (SAI/BHI) to help implement the Work First New
Jersey welfare-to-work program funded by the NJ Dept. of Human Services. The
goal of the SAI/BHI is to eliminate addiction as a barrier to employment. The
NJ Division of Family Development funds our Family Violence Option (FVO)
project. The purpose of the FVO program is to afford protection to domestic
violence victims who are receiving General Assistance or Temporary Assistance
to Needy Families help.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We also provide substance misuse assessments for youth under
the supervision of the NJ Juvenile Justice Commission. This assessment further
includes level of care placement recommendations. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The present day description of the one-two punch of COVID-19
and addictions is as a crisis wrapped in a crisis. The coronavirus pandemic has
exacerbated the psychological factors that are involved in substance use
behavior. The medical journal PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH (Aug. 18, 2020) noted that
the social isolation, economic hardship, worry, fear, and disruption of normal
activities have resulted in increased drug misuse among those with existing
addiction disorders, along with a rise in use among former abstainers.
Combine this with capacity limitations, growing waitlists, and reduced hours at
many addiction treatment programs and one sees what could have long been
expected – a nearly 20% increase of drug overdoses, according to a University
of Baltimore study last month. Overdose deaths in New Jersey were averaging
around 3,000 per annum for the past several years before COVID-19. It is
blatantly obvious the State must find the resources to, not just maintain past
levels of funding, but to enhance the response to an escalating need. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We are encouraged to see the Dept. of Human Services
continue to do more with less as, among other initiatives, it has sustained its
naloxone (opioid overdose reversal drug) free distribution to individuals,
police depts., libraries, and homeless shelters effort, along with the launch
of a program to train EMS first responders on interacting with patients
following treatment from a suspect opioid overdose and linking patients to
needed services.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A final observation – In a report issued by the American
Medical Association’s (AMA) Opioid Task Force (July 28, 2020), it was
determined that, although opioid prescriptions decreased in the last year, the
use of illicit drugs has gone up. This leaves for a future debate the question
of whether restricting access to prescribed and regulated medications, rather
than decreasing drug misuse, isn’t instead, driving up customers for the
illegal trade? In the Governor’s proposed nine-month Budget, he included
anticipated revenue from an “opioid tax.” Our belief is that this may well have
the unintended and ironic consequence of hurting the effort to mitigate the
worsening drug addiction crisis in our state. Two of the drugs utilized as part
of a medication assisted treatment (MAT) regimen to treat addictions, are
methadone and buprenorphine. Both contain a certain amount of opioid medication
(the former 10% and the latter 85%). A tax on their use will certainly make
them more expensive, if not entirely inaccessible. Attaching extra costs to
therapies that help people to heal seems never to be a good idea. Making it
more burdensome for individuals seeking relief from chronic pain and addiction
disorders would be foolish. <o:p></o:p></p>ATDWNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01885006958455942884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13874475.post-84069903511825241092020-08-17T11:09:00.001-04:002020-08-17T11:09:00.139-04:00A NEED FOR A DRUG CZAR ?<p> Would the struggle against the crippling effects of
addictive behavioral disorders benefit from a consolidating of initiatives
coordinated by one person or office? Does the Garden State need a Drug Czar (my
term)? There are three bills pending in the state Legislature that would
significantly center addiction prevention, treatment and recovery services
under one roof. All three are presently receiving committee consideration.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">* Assembly Bill 2124 and Senate Bill 2170 would establish an
Office of Alcohol and Drug Use Disorders Policy to oversee, direct and
coordinate resources, funding and data tracking with all State Departments with
regard to the prevention and treatment of alcohol and drug disorders. The
Office would be allocated within the Dept. of the Treasury but would be
independent of the Dept. and would report directly to the Governor. It would
review County Annual Alliance Plans and distribute grants. It would evaluate
provider performance and enforce contract compliance. The Office would take
over most of the functions of the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug
Abuse. An Executive Director would be appointed by the Governor with the
consent of the Senate.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">* Assembly Bill 3364 would create an Office of Alcohol, Drug
and Tobacco Use Control Policy in the Dept. of Health. It would develop a
strategic plan to reduce use, oversee the collection of data related to youth
use, identify the best municipal youth programs, and develop recommendations to
improve the safety and effectiveness of acute pain treatment. The Office would
apply for grants to fund itself.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">* Senate Bill 2079 would create the Office of Coordinated
Substance Use Control Policy and Planning in, but not of, the Dept. of Human
Services. It is intended that it would be independent of DHS control. The
Governor would appoint the Executive Director and his/her Deputy, with Senate
consent. The Office would develop a strategic plan, coordinate and oversee all
substance use control activities in all state Departments, law enforcement, and
local governments, make compliance recommendations, provide agency budget
recommendations, audit and evaluate agency performance, biennially review
existing laws and regulations to determine consistency with the Strategic Plan,
serve as spokesperson for Executive Branch substance use policies, administer
appropriate grant programs, assume some of the responsibilities of the current
Governor’s Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse including review of County Annual
Alliance Plans, examine extant statutes and make recommendations, hire,
appoint, transfer agency staff to implement the Strategic Plan, assign funds
among agencies, control the use of agency monies, and operate a hotline to
assist the public.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Even if it is determined that either of these proposals (or
some combination thereof) would improve on the present state of things, would
New Jersey government have the will to make it happen? Would the monies be
found to carry out this reform in a meaningful way? An argument could be made
that every state department should be ready to engage in activities, within its
bailiwick, that would help the cause. However, in the world of turf politics,
how much authority and funding can it be reasonably expected that extant
bureaucracies would voluntarily surrender? And can’t you just hear the howl
that would be emitted from the hallowed halls of county and municipal
governments when the big toe of state government is seen to be encroaching on
its territory? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If this organizational shuffling makes effective sense, then
like so many meaningful changes, it will have to be a priority of people
seeking long-term recovery and their allies in order to get it enacted.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ed Martone<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Policy Analyst<o:p></o:p></p>ATDWNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01885006958455942884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13874475.post-37182024916208919332020-08-11T10:42:00.001-04:002020-08-11T10:42:28.728-04:00ON MY MIND<p> We are now one quarter through the 2020/21 state Legislative
Term and a number of bills have been introduced to deal with the struggle of
people seeking to attain, and maintain, long-term sobriety. There was hope that
we were beginning to realize a modicum of success in 2019 that could be built
upon in the New Year. A number of significant reforms were enacted; the
Governor and most in the Legislature were supportive of our recommendations;
$100m had been pledged in the next Fiscal Year for addiction services; and
overdose deaths had been reduced three percent below the previous year (for the
first time in years). Then COVID-19 hit hard. The virus, and the resulting
lockdown exacerbated problems of depression, anxiety, drug misuse, and overdose
deaths. At a time when more folks needed treatment, many providers had to place
limits on the number of patients admitted, or closed their doors altogether.
Additionally, the state Budget is hemorrhaging billions of dollars and monies
for addiction services have been largely frozen. Politically, attention has
been rightly focused on the viral outbreak.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The challenge before us is to re-aim the spotlight on
solutions to mitigate the damage left in addiction’s wake, that impedes
recovery. Concentrating on public policies that can contribute to securing a
path to wellness is one way in which people seeking healing, and their allies,
can make a needed difference. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The following are some pending proposals being followed in
the NJ Senate and Assembly:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A.970/S.2259 – Requires public schools to administer written
student screenings for depression and other behavioral issues<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">AJR178/SJR85 – Recognize August 31 of each year as “Overdose
Awareness Day”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A.4221 – Mandates that the Office of Information Technology
establish a centralized, one-stop website resource guide to assist people in
navigating the State’s mental health and substance use disorder service systems<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S.805/A.3004 – Permits individuals with drug distribution,
or intent to distribute, convictions to be eligible for General Assistance
(welfare) benefits<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S.1109 and S.1753 – Examines the issue of health insurers’
network adequacy<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A.683 – Creates the office of Behavioral Health Ombudsperson<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S.151/A.672 – Limits the release of a patient’s private
information to insurance carriers<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A.275/S.1112 – Reduces court-ordered fines owed by a drug or
alcohol-dependent person upon the completion of a treatment program<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A.2684/S.1073 – Authorizes public libraries to maintain a
supply of opioid antidotes and permits emergency administration of an opioid
antidote by a librarian or another trained library employee<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A.3364 and S.2079 and S.2170/A.2124 – Creates the Office of
Alcohol, Drug, and Tobacco Use Control Policy (Drug Czar)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S.1763/A.2280 – Prohibits certain substance use disorder
treatment facilities from paying fees, commissions, or rebates to any person to
refer patients to a particular facility (patient brokering)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S.1788/A.2642 – Requires hospitals to inquire whether
patients have a substance use disorder and establishes protocols for providing
or referring to treatment<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S.508/A.3158 – Mandates that public and nonpublic secondary
schools annually conduct written or verbal substance use screening on all
students using a particular screening program (SBIRT)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S.892/A.2649 – Requires nursing homes to provide training to
staff in behavioral health issues<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A.3284 – Requires pharmacies to maintain a minimum stock of
opioid antidotes<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A.271 – Changes the name of “Drug Court” to “Recovery Court”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A.3295/S.1121 – Increases Medicaid reimbursement rates for
certain evidence-based behavioral health services to Medicare levels<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S.1731/A.2295 – Mandates the curriculum in medical schools
include instruction in the treatment and management of opiate-dependent
patients that meets the minimum training requirements established for
physicians to be authorized to prescribe narcotic drugs<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A.2269/S.1844 – Requires hospitals to include a warning in
patient discharge papers concerning the risks of addiction and overdose
associated with opioid medications<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A.1059 – Requires institutions of higher education to
maintain a supply of opioid antidotes and permits the emergency administration
of an opioid antidote by a campus medical professional or trained employee<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A.677 – Authorizes Overdose Prevention Centers (safe
injection sites)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S.877/A.809 – Mandates state and county correctional
facilities to develop strategic plans to provide peer counseling and peer
health navigators to support the treatment of substance use disorders<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S.1968 – Provides tax credits to employers who hire people
in recovery from substance use disorder<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S.1969 – Includes substance use disorder on a list of
disabilities that qualify a student for state special education and related
services<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A.3941 – Provides for funds received from opioid litigation
or settlements to be dedicated for use in financing substance use disorder
prevention and treatment services<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S.2323/A.3869 – Requires the issuance of a prescription for
an opioid antidote to anyone receiving a prescription for an opioid medication<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ed Martone<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Policy Analyst<o:p></o:p></p>ATDWNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01885006958455942884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13874475.post-59738961562977386902020-04-15T07:00:00.000-04:002020-04-15T11:51:04.252-04:00When the Titanic Meets the Iceberg<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
As of this writing, the world’s concern is understandably
and correctly focused on the coronavirus and the COVID-19 disease it begets.
The lack of either a vaccine or a cure, along with its blitzkrieg-like spread
onto every continent, is precisely the extreme crisis that draws all attention,
to the exclusion of nearly all other problems. This is no less true of our
elected and appointed leaders who have had to put almost all else aside in
order to deal with this worsening emergency. Nevertheless, addictive illnesses
have not gone away during this time; and some proposals have moved partially
through the state legislative process in the past few weeks, including:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* A.809/S.877 – Requires jails and prisons to develop plans
to provide peer counseling and peer health navigators to support the treatment
of substance use disorders. S.877 was approved on a unanimous Health Committee
vote and sent to the Appropriations Committee. Its companion, A.804, is in the
Law and Public Safety Committee.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* S.491 and S.241 – are two bills that would reform some of
the workings of Drug Court. Specifically, they would permit more offenses to be
eligible for admission, liberalize the expungement process, and restrict Drug
Court’s authority to revoke a person’s participation in the program, or to
disallow certain individuals to be admitted in to the Intensive Supervision
Program (ISP). Both of these legislative proposals were released by the Senate
Judiciary Committee, and will now travel to the full Senate for a Floor vote. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Beyond these – over five thousand bills have been introduced
in to the 2020/21 Legislative Term. The following are only some of the measures
NCADD-NJ is monitoring:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* A.3004/S.805 – Permit people with drug distribution, or
intent to distribute, convictions to be eligible for General Assistance
(welfare) benefits<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* S.1109 and S.1173 – Examine the issue of health insurers’
network adequacy<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* S.151/A.672 – Limit the release of a patient’s private
information to insurance carriers<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* A.275/S.1112 – Reduce court-ordered fines owed by a drug
or alcohol-dependent person upon the completion of a treatment program<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* A.2684/S.1073 – Authorizes public libraries to maintain a
supply of opioid antidotes and permits emergency administration of an opioid
antidote by a librarian or another trained library employee<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* A.3364 and S.2079 and A.2124/S.2170 – Establishes the
Office of Alcohol, Drug, and Tobacco Use Control Policy (Drug Czar)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* S.1763/A.2280 – Prohibits certain substance use disorder
therapy facilities from paying fees, commissions, or rebates to any person to
refer patients to a program (patient brokering)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* S.1788/A.2642 – Requires hospitals to inquire whether
patients have a substance use disorder and establish protocols for providing or
referring to treatment<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* A.3158/S.508 – Mandates that all public and nonpublic
secondary schools annually conduct written or verbal substance use screening on
all students using a particular screening program<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* S.892/A.2649 – Requires nursing homes to provide training
to staff in behavioral health issues<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* A.3284 – Requires pharmacies to maintain a stock of opioid
antidotes<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* A.271 – Changes the name “Drug Court” to “Recovery Court”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* S.1121/A.3295 – Increases Medicaid reimbursement rates for
certain evidence-based behavioral health services to Medicare levels<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* A.2295/S.1731 – Mandates the curriculum in medical schools
include instruction in the treatment and management of opiate-dependent
patients that meets the minimum training requirements established for
physicians to be authorized to prescribe narcotic drugs<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* S.1844/A.2269 – Requires hospitals to include a warning in
patient discharge papers concerning the risks of addiction and overdose
associated with opioid medications<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* A.1059 – Requires institutions of higher education to
maintain a supply of opioid antidotes and permits the emergency administration
of an opioid antidote by a campus medical professional or trained employee<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* A.677 – Authorizes Overdose Prevention Centers (safe
injection sites)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For more information on these bills, go to <a href="http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/">www.njleg.state.nj.us</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the midst of the uncertainty and dread caused by the
coronavirus, NCADD-NJ staff and volunteer Advocates will continue to direct
their work, and the concentration of the policy-makers, on repairing the
devastation caused by behavioral health disorders.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />ATDWNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01885006958455942884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13874475.post-3291288073832373602020-03-31T15:38:00.003-04:002020-03-31T15:40:30.118-04:00ONE LONG EMERGENCY<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">The following is the testimony I submitted to the NJ Senate and Assembly Budget and
Appropriations Committees on March 10 and March 18, 2020 addressing the Fiscal
Year 2021 State Budget.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence - NJ is an incorporated
non-profit organization operating in the Garden State since 1982. NCADD-NJ works
in partnership with, and on behalf of, individuals, families, and communities
affected by alcoholism and drug dependence, to promote recovery. We have been
working for more than thirty five years to reduce the stigma and discrimination
associated with addictive illness. We have been a strong advocate for public
policies that increase access to quality treatment and recovery services. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">NCADD-NJ
also operates the Substance Abuse Initiative and Behavioral Health Initiative
(SAI/BHI) to help implement the Work First New Jersey welfare-to-work program
funded by the NJ Dept. of Human Services. The goal of the SAI/BHI is to
eliminate addiction as a barrier to employment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The
NJ Division of Family Development funds our Family Violence Option project. The
purpose of the FVO program is to afford protection to domestic violence victims
who are receiving General Assistance or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families
help. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">We
also provide substance misuse assessments for youth under the supervision of
the NJ Juvenile Justice Commission. This assessment further includes level of
care placement recommendations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">NCADD-NJ
encourages the Legislature to support Governor Phil Murphy’s proposal of $100m
dedicated to fund the prevention and treatment of addiction disorders, along
with the recovery of its survivors. This would represent the third year in a
row of a commitment in this amount. Earlier investments have slowed and
somewhat reversed the scourge of opioid misuse, however, the level of
devastation created by this illness remains unacceptable. A diminution of our
efforts to fight it, will only ensure too many more victims.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">2020
will be the first full year of parity implementation. Last year the Legislature
and Governor endorsed a new law requiring health plans sold in this state to
document full compliance with established principle that coverage for medical
and surgical treatment, be on a par with that for behavioral care. The NJ Dept.
of Banking and Insurance was tasked with monitoring and enforcing the parity
statute. We urge the Legislature and Governor to fully fund the Department’s
assignment to inform the public, treatment providers and insurance carriers of
the new provisions of the parity law, along with the need to retain some
additional staff to carry out the Department’s enforcement mandate. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The
NJ Dept. of Human Services has announced a number of initiatives in the coming
year to combat addiction disease. All of these are supported by NCADD-NJ, and
the Legislature is asked to include them in the state Budget. These include:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">Following up on
the statewide distribution last June 18</span><sup style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">th</sup><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"> of 32,000 free dosages of
the opioid overdose reversal drug, naloxone – in 2020, the Department intends
to give out 53,000 doses to police officers, 2000 to homeless shelters, and 400
to public libraries.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The REACH NJ
hotline is being re-tooled. Among the changes will be the provision that a
caller receive live assistance, rather than a recording. Billboard and
television ads are now up promoting the revised hotline.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">$1.7m is being allotted
to certain counties as part of the “Innovation Projects” effort, with,
hopefully, more to follow.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">It is anticipated
that reimbursement rates will be raised for integrated care management and
residential treatment slots.</span></li>
<li>Initially, $7.8m
has been made available to county jails across the state to initiate opioid
therapy in jails and to connect individuals to community-based care post
release. This pilot should be expanded upon, in order that every lock up
facility has medication assisted treatment, Medicaid enrollment, and post
release aftercare programs in place.</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">NCADD-NJ
has been pleased overall with the refined response to the opioid epidemic of
the past two governors and members of the Senate and Assembly. The changed
thinking of our policy makers toward addiction as a public health, rather than
a criminal justice problem, has allowed for a more sophisticated and effective
approach toward solutions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />ATDWNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01885006958455942884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13874475.post-81190431636727755962020-03-09T11:00:00.000-04:002020-03-09T11:00:41.647-04:00REBOUND, RESTORE<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The problem of addiction and, in particular, the carnage
created by the opioid epidemic, continued to present itself as the worst public
health issue of the past few years. The crisis garnered much of the public’s
elected representatives’ attention, and the state Legislature and Governor
enacted a number of mostly positive proposals in the law by the recently
concluded 2018/19 Legislative Term.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The following were signed in to law:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* S.626 – Disallows health insurance plans to deny coverage
due to preexisting conditions<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* A.5248 and A.5506 – Requires health insurance plans to
cover essential behavioral health services<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* A.5501 – Mandates a continuation of health benefits
dependent coverage until child turns 26 years of age<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* S.824 – Eliminates driver license suspension for first DUI
offense, but mandates the installation of an ignition interlock device<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* A.2031 – Enhances enforcement of parity laws that mandate
that health plans reimburse for behavioral healthcare on a par with the manner
in which coverage for medical and surgical services is offered<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* S.2861 – Requires health curriculum for public school
students in grades kindergarten through 12 to include instruction on mental
health and substance disorders<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* A.3292 – Requires that opioid prescriptions include a
warning sticker advising patients of the risks of addiction and overdose<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* A.4744 – Requires the N.J. Dept. of Human Services to
ensure that medication assisted treatment benefits in the Medicaid program are
provided without the imposition of prior authorization strictures<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* A.5823 – Removes the prohibition on voting by persons
convicted of indictable offenses who are on probation or parole<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* A.268 – “P.I.C.K. Awareness Act;” authorizes the issuance
of special support recovery housing license plates<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A number of criminal justice, penal reform and expungement
measures were signed in to law, including:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* A.3979 – “Dignity for Incarcerated Primary Caretaker
Parents Act”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* S.2055 – Permits incarcerated individuals to receive
student financial aid<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In almost every instance, people in recovery and their
families provided their uniquely valuable perspective in crafting these
policies.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ed Martone, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Policy Analyst<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />ATDWNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01885006958455942884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13874475.post-30334251316260539792019-10-25T09:09:00.003-04:002019-10-25T09:09:47.053-04:002019 QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
In years when one, or both, houses of the state Legislature
are up for election, NCADD-NJ conducts a survey of the candidates on issues of
addictions policies. This year, all eighty seats are up in the NJ Assembly and
the candidates were mailed the questionnaire shortly after Labor Day. It is
intended to gauge general policy inclinations rather than pinpoint support or
opposition for specific legislative proposals. It also serves as an
introduction for some as to the concerns of the addictions community.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
NCADD-NJ neither endorses candidates for office nor
contributes donations to political campaigns. A candidate’s response is scanned
and posted on our website. The remarks are not critiqued nor given a rating. It
is hoped that all eligible voters will exercise that constitutional right in
November. The 2019 NJ Assembly Addiction Prevention, Treatment and Recovery
Survey is designed to assist voters in comparing candidates’ positions on
alcohol and drug dependence-related public policies.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Forty-one candidates answered the questionnaire and the
attitude change and approach expressed was dramatic and encouraging. All
acknowledged addictive behavior as a disorder requiring a public health
response. This represents a shift from a few years ago when most viewed it as a
character flaw that had to be punished. A good deal of the credit for this more
refined perspective is attributable to the sophisticated and selfless testimony
of people struggling with addictions and their families who have bravely
articulated their challenges in securing adequate services in order to attain
and maintain long-term recovery.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* All but two respondents indicated support for sufficient
funding for treatment and recovery programs. This is an important commitment,
as we need the resources of the state to ensure a substantive engagement with
the crisis.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* All but two of the candidates endorsed the voluntary
consent to be transported to a detox or treatment program for someone who had
been revived from a drug overdose. The identical number supported giving that
person a medication to alleviate the ensuing withdrawal symptoms after the
administration of an opioid overdose reversal drug, such as naloxone (brand
name – Narcan). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* Thirty of the forty-one respondents agreed that more
public spaces, such as colleges, libraries, sports arenas, etc. should be
mandated to stock naloxone and train certain staff on its use.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* All respondents support recovery community centers,
however, seven believe they should exist privately, without public funding. A
further six see these centers as a good idea – but not in their home county. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* Each of the candidates suggested an endorsement of
enhancing current drug, alcohol and mental health programs in jails and
prisons; expanding access to criminal record expungement relief for individuals
who can demonstrate long-term recovery; and increasing alternatives to
incarceration for non-violent drug offenders. Meanwhile, three suggested
toughening criminal penalties in tandem with these initiatives would also work.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* On the question of recreational use of small amounts of
marijuana by adults, of the forty-one candidates participating in the survey:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Five support legalization and regulation<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Fifteen support decriminalization<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Eight would support either legalization or
decriminalization<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Six would prefer keeping the present legal prohibition in
place<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Five would prefer keeping the present legal prohibition in
place, while making changes to the existing law<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Two did not respond to this particular question <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To read the questionnaire responses from the participating
candidates, <a href="https://ncaddnj.nationbuilder.com/2019_candidate_surveys" target="_blank">click here</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ed Martone<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Policy Analyst<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />ATDWNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01885006958455942884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13874475.post-60278990413448899302019-10-08T10:18:00.000-04:002019-10-08T10:18:10.640-04:00THE PAST AS PROLOGUE<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The NCADD-NJ staff and Board of Directors have recently
embarked upon an introspective examination of the organization for purposes of
drawing up a Strategic Plan for the future. Part of the process has been a
retrospective look at the origins of NCADD-NJ and its development up to the
present day. It is illuminating to review the early days and how they inform
plans for moving forward. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Recently, our President/CEO, Wayne Wirta, mined his
institutional memory and sketched out some of the past highlights of the
organization. It was an offshoot of the National Council on Alcoholism that was
founded in 1945. It was incorporated as a non-profit, tax-exempt entity in the
Garden State in 1982 by several directors of local county-based affiliates of
the National Council on Alcoholism. The affiliate directors around the state
believed there needed to be a presence in the State Capitol. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The institution became fully operational in 1985 with grants
from The Fund for New Jersey and the state Division of Alcoholism. Wayne was
retained as Executive Director in August, 1988 and the agency moved from a
trade association to a statewide policy council – and the name was changed to
the New Jersey Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. The organization set up
shop in a former funeral home in Trenton, on a budget of $70,000, and with
Wayne and a part-time secretary. The first two years of operation consisted
primarily of monitoring addiction-related legislation, meeting with legislators
and testifying at hearings, developing informational pamphlets aimed at
reducing the stigma around addiction, and exhibiting at conferences throughout
the state.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In 1990, the agency’s bi-monthly newsletter, PERSPECTIVES began
publication and became the only statewide organ that disseminated current,
addiction-related news. The following year saw the launch of the Congregation
Assistance Program. It established and trained “core teams” within individual
congregations to educate the members on the nature of addictive illnesses and
to act as primary contacts for individuals needing assistance. One year later,
we set up a training institute to provide courses that would move a person
toward attaining a Certified Alcoholism Counselor designation.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The organization name was changed to its present moniker,
NCADD-NJ in 1997. The occasion was marked in the Statehouse with a ceremony
keynoted by then-U.S. Senator, George McGovern.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During Governor Christine Todd Whitman’s Administration,
conventional wisdom held, that people on welfare who were addicted and required
to secure training or work, would need treatment before being able to do so.
Thus was born the Work First New Jersey – Substance Abuse Initiative. It was the
intent of the project to not simply manage the care, but to also act as
advocates for those on welfare to receive the most sufficient level of therapy
for the most appropriate length of time. With virtually no fiscal restrictions
from the state with regard to treatment costs, we have been able to realize
that goal. This further resulted in an almost overnight staff expansion from
six people, to what is now a one hundred forty person Administrative Services
Organization (ASO). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the dawn of the twenty-first century, NCADD-NJ received a
federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA) with which we established the “Friends of Addiction
Recovery – New Jersey.” The objective of the project was to put a face on
recovery so as to reduce the stigma around addiction, and to advocate for
policies that would foster long-term recovery.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
NCADD-NJ moved in to its present Robbinsville headquarters
in 2006. The following year, the agency extended its reach to the Far West. The
organization developed and operated complex data and voucher systems for the
Montana/Wyoming Tribal Leaders. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In 2008, we were fortunate to be one of five agencies to
receive a Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap grant from the Open Society
Foundations in the amount of $200,000. Its purpose was to provide public
awareness and advocacy around the need to obtain more resources to offer
therapy for individuals suffering from addictive illness. The grant was for
three years but in 2011 we were one of two organizations who received
extensions that lasted until 2015. Under this grant, we were able to increase
staff and began the Advocacy Leader Program. It started with a class of 35
individuals who applied to be a part of the program. It has steadily grown from
that point to where we now have over a thousand people signed on as volunteers
and 12 active regions that hold monthly meetings and put on annual public
awareness events in their local communities.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In 2009, the state Division of Family Development (DFD)
asked us to assume responsibility for the Mental Health Initiative in seven
counties. The Mental Health Initiative is different from the SAI in that we
don’t authorize or pay for treatment. We assess the client and refer to the
appropriate provider and give support to try to ensure that the client enters
the treatment program. In 2012, the Mental Health Initiative was extended to
the entire state and we received an additional million dollars from DFD to
provide the services. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We received a grant in 2014 from New Jersey Citizen Action
to promote the use of Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment
(SBIRT) in order to provide identification of minors beginning early substance
misuse. We further received a grant from them to inform the recovery community
about insurance reform and how to sign up for what has become known as Obama
Care, a.k.a. the Affordable Care Act. A one-year grant was bestowed upon us in
2016 from the Open Society Foundations to train and support the Council of
Southeast Pennsylvania in establishing an Advocacy Leader Program such as we
have done in the Garden State.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A more recent grant of $20,000 was received from the Legal
Action Center to participate in the national Parity at Ten Project. The purpose
was to have insurance parity legislation enacted at the state level ten years
after it had been passed by the Federal Government. The problem was that,
although legislation was passed mandating that health plans reimburse for
behavioral healthcare on a par with the manner in which physical, medical
therapy was paid for, it was up to the states to enforce it. This was something
that, by and large, had not been done. NCADD-NJ and the NJ Parity Coalition
were successful in securing adoption of this legislation earlier this year. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In 2018, we also worked with the Mental Health Association
in NJ to obtain a grant from a private, family foundation in New York to expand
our Advocacy Leader program to include those individuals suffering solely from
mental illness. We enhanced the membership in three of our Regional Advocate
Teams in order to do this, and subsequently received a sub-grant from the MHA
in NJ in the amount of $20,000 over a two year period.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Also in 2018, the NJ Dept. of Human Services’ Division of
Family Development (DFD) awarded us the Family Violence Option (FVO)
initiative. The six FVO Regional Risk Assessors conduct risk evaluations in the
county welfare offices statewide and provide safety planning for the General
Assistance (GA) and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) recipients.
The FVO Risk Assessors then recommend any one of six work or training waivers.
The purpose of the FVO waivers is to protect the GA/TANF recipients who are in
imminent danger from the perpetrator, and for individuals who want to move
forward and become self-sufficient. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As NCADD-NJ plans for its future endeavors, it acknowledges
the strong foundation set by the pioneers of the agency. It is not an
organization buffeted by the winds of fate. Rather, its destiny lies in the
judgment and actions of its Board of Directors, staff and volunteer leadership.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />ATDWNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01885006958455942884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13874475.post-19286998873158043262019-07-29T12:55:00.002-04:002019-07-29T12:55:34.985-04:00SUMMER DAZE<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just before it’s Summer break, the N.J. Legislature tackled
a sizable number of bills of relevance to behavioral health activists. There
is much to report on as the severity of the opioid epidemic has continued to
garner the attention of the media, decision-makers, and the public-at-large.
The enormity of the crisis has also altered the way in which many policy-makers
regard those individuals seeking long-term recovery. In just the past few
years, recovery activists went from gadflies trying to get officials to pay
attention, to experts, whose misfortunes have sadly made them the sought-out
ones who can often best inform the public discourse on practical solutions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some of the legislative proposals that have been enacted in
to law during the past few months, include:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A.542/S.1830 – Requires high schools to stock opioid
overdose reversal drugs, authorizes school nurses to administer, and provides
them with legal indemnification<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A.4744/S.3314 – Mandates that the N.J. Dept. of Human
Services ensure medication assisted treatment benefits under the Medicaid
program are provided without the imposition of prior authorization strictures <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A.3292/S.2244 – Requires that all opioid prescriptions
include a warning sticker advising patients of the risk of addiction and
overdose<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
S.1339/A.2031 – Requires health insurance plans to pay for
behavioral health care on a par with the manner in which they compensate for
physical/medical health services<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A.4498/S.3205 – Permits that a marijuana possession
conviction of five pounds or less, be eligible for expungement. The new law
additionally creates an expedited expungement process for certain
marijuana-related offenses and offers a “clean slate” expungement to
individuals with multiple convictions who have been out of the criminal justice
system for at least ten years.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Other measures that have moved through various stages of the
legislative process, and could be further acted upon before the current
Assembly and Senate Term ends on Jan. 7, 2020, include:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
S.938/A.3064 – Would require nursing homes to provide
training to staff in behavioral health issues<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
SJR94/AJR70 – Would establish a one-year commission to
examine the best ways to address the issue of people who repeatedly endure
opioid overdoses and revivals<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A.4150/S.2742 – Would require a meeting between a student
and appropriate school personnel after multiple suspensions or a proposed
expulsion from public school to identify behavior or health difficulties<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A.3955/S.624 – Would limit private patient information
behavioral health care providers may disclose to insurance carriers<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
S.3813/A.5510 – Would expand the Law Against Discrimination
to provide that it will be unlawful for any entity that operates a health
program to discriminate against an individual on the basis of the person being
a member of a protected class<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
S.2332/A.3755 – Would allow persons with one or two
convictions involving third and fourth degree aggravated assault to be eligible
for Drug Court. Would also permit eligibility for individuals with older,
multiple criminal convictions that are at least five years old, if the court
determines that the program would be beneficial<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A.4652/S3198 – Would allow for the reduction of
court-ordered fines for individuals who successfully complete Drug Court<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
S.3857/A.5459 – Would mandate that healthcare professionals
receive training in best practices in the care of pregnant women with respect
to prescription opioids<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A.5425/S.4021 – Would provide that no substance use disorder
treatment facility shall pay or otherwise furnish any fee, commission, or
rebate to any person to refer patients to the facility for therapy or services <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
S.3808/A.5506 – Would obligate basic health insurance plans
offered in the state, to cover “essential health services.” These services
include therapy for substance misuse and mental health disorders.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
S.626/A.1733 – Would impose a prohibition on preexisting
condition exclusions in health insurance policies<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A.5501/S.3802 – Would require the continuation of health
benefits dependent coverage until the child turns 26 years of age<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
S.824/A.2089 – Would replace the current mandate for a
suspended license in the case of a first-time drunk driving offense with a
required utilization of an Ignition Interlock Devise (IID) on the offender’s
vehicle – Also establishes a category of “drugged driver” and provides for
similar penalties<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For more information about these bills, visit <a href="http://www.njleg.stste.nj.us/">www.njleg.stste.nj.us</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All of this leaves still more measures that might move after
the Legislature’s Summer Break and before the current Term ends at the close of
the year. Some of the topic areas include: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*Insurance parity-related protections, e.g. creation of a
behavioral healthcare Ombudsperson position, health insurance network adequacy,
and other parity-implementation and access to care initiatives<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*Require public and private high schools to annually conduct
written or verbal screenings of all students to identify early substance use<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*Expand the right to vote to persons incarcerated, and on
probation or parole<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*Mandate that a portion of forfeited assets in certain drug
cases be directed to fund drug treatment<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*Require insurance carriers to reimburse for Suboxone and
Subutex<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*Designate sober living homes as beneficial uses in the
context of the Municipal Land Use Act<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*Improve performance standards for non-emergency medical
transport provided under Medicaid<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*Allow individuals who complete a drug court program to
qualify for a casino employee’s license<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*Mandate that colleges and universities maintain a supply of
an opioid antidote<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And many more… <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ed Martone<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Policy Analyst<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />ATDWNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01885006958455942884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13874475.post-73977471376486025632019-07-12T13:53:00.000-04:002019-10-16T14:52:24.768-04:00LETS TALK CO-OCCURRING<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
In 2012 I was encouraged to get involved with NCADD-NJ by a
group of women who founded Parent To Parent in 1997.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These women were pioneers when it came to
advocating as parents. They understood that the family’s voice was powerful in
creating change and encouraged me to speak out. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also recognized the power of many voices
coming together and the importance of messaging. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were courageous, kind and compassionate
but the stories showed strength and people listened. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Our Stories Have Power” was the first training I attended
at NCADD-NJ. The room was filled with a combination of people in recovery and
family members. In some cases, they were there together which gave me hope for
my own son’s recovery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We learned
together and worked on writing our stories using language that seemed
uncomfortable at the time. I struggled to write my story even though I had
already been speaking out in my community. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Years later, person first language is natural and
my story has evolved.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When an advocate becomes a team leader our work is
recognized by in a Joint Legislative Resolution addressed to the individual
advocate. In 2013, a mistake was made and all of the advocates’ names were on
one document. We were given individual Resolutions later but I love that all 39
are listed on the original Resolution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many
are still very active in advocacy in one way or another. It’s a pretty
impressive list that shows the diversity of the NCADD-NJ advocates.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For years it was much easier and acceptable for families to
speak out about treatment, recovery support and stigma than for someone in
recovery to tell their story. Some continued to judge families but others felt
compassion and they were willing to listen. Fortunately the recovery community
has been empowered through advocacy work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We welcome their voices and their stories but we cannot forget the power
of our own stories. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Families have their own experiences in discrimination,
isolation and a lack of access to resources and support. We also get well and
it’s important that we talk about our own challenges and path to recovery. It
can be uncomfortable and seem unnatural to talk about us but our stories make a
difference and many changes begin with a family member advocating for a
solution. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The very first legislation I advocated for was the Overdose
Prevention Act. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Working with advocates
across the state on a bill that has literally saved thousands of lives in NJ
was life changing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Parents had a strong
voice in the fight for a law that may have saved their child or could save the
life of someone they love. Although all advocates worked on the legislation it
was a parent’s story that seemed to energize the bill. Even when the signing
was delayed, it was Bon Jovi, speaking out as a parent that pushed Governor
Christie to sign the bill into law without further delay. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Our Stories Have
Power” training is now scheduled throughout NJ to make it easier to attend. I
encourage families to take advantage of the training. Learning how to tell our
own stories not only makes a difference but can help us in our own recovery. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tonia Ahern <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
NCADD-NJ Advocacy Field Organizer<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />ATDWNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01885006958455942884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13874475.post-28357587719317329722019-05-03T10:12:00.002-04:002019-05-03T10:12:46.782-04:00ITS NICE TO WIN ONE …<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Every once in awhile. The latest victory for people and
their loved ones in the challenge to attain, and maintain, long-term sobriety,
culminated in Governor Phil Murphy affixing his signature to the Parity Bill on
April 11. The legislation had been a priority for the NCADD-NJ Advocates, staff
and partners for many years. NCADD-NJ has convened and hosted the NJ Parity
Coalition for some time, and efforts intensified with the introduction of
Senate Bill 1339 and Assembly Bill 2031. The measure requires insurance
carriers to document steps they’ve taken to ensure their health plans are in
compliance with existing federal and state parity laws. These health insurance
policies would not be available for sale to the public without demonstrated
assurance that the plans are parity-compliant.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For more than ten years, federal law has mandated that
health insurance policies reimburse for mental health and substance use
treatment on a par with the manner in which there is reimbursement for
physical, medical and surgical conditions. The responsibility for implementing
these requirements, however, was given largely to the states. In the Garden
State, the responsibility falls mostly to the Department of Banking and
Insurance (DOBI). The Dept. must audit the plans, collect relevant data,
determine compliance, report annually to the Governor and Legislature as to
their findings, and place all relevant information that would be helpful to consumers
on its public website. Up to now, the process was complaint-driven. Consumers
would have to appeal an insurance denial, become conversant in parity
strictures, non-quantitative and non-qualitative treatment limits, and
essentially become insurance regulations experts. On June 11, when the new law
takes effect, it would be the obligation of insurance experts at DOBI to
certify that health insurance plans that are sold in the state guarantee to
offer what is advertised. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The enactment of this new statute is the fulfillment of the
quest of families who’ve been denied therapy coverage, service providers who’ve
been prevented from delivering needed treatment to their clients in need, and
to social justice advocates from every corner of the state. More than once
during his remarks at the Parity Bill Signing Ceremony, Governor Murphy thanked
the advocates “who got this bill to me.” This illuminates the point, that
little gets through the public policy process without the dedicated efforts of
citizen-advocates who draw attention to a problem, devise a solution, and press
decision-makers to be responsive. It was encouraging to note that the
Commissioners of the Departments of Human Services and Banking and Insurance
were also present at the April 11 event and pledged to ensure that the mandates
of the parity measure would be assertively enforced. Marlene Caride, DOBI
Commissioner, announced she would begin the work with a statewide series of
hearings to elicit from consumers their parity-related complaints and suggestions.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To ensure the new law is not a “dead letter,” NCADD-NJ and
its partners in the NJ Parity Coalition, know the next steps will be to monitor
and influence its enforcement. We will participate in the DOBI Listening Tour
and assist in collecting relevant data. We will involve ourselves in the
“rule-making” process at DOBI of promulgating the requisite regulations to
implement the parity statute. We will assist DOBI in designing an audit of the
insurance plans to collect the most relevant data on parity compliance. And we
will join in a public education campaign to let individuals and businesses know
of the protections of this new law. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The enactment of the parity bill is a superior achievement
for NCADD-NJ Advocates who called the Governor’s Office, communicated with
their elected officials, testified at public hearings, and spoke publicly in
the press, all about the need for this reform. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can see the signing here:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag7kT228550">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag7kT228550</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ed Martone</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Policy Analyst </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
NCADD-NJ</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />ATDWNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01885006958455942884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13874475.post-56482018082231635132019-04-25T15:54:00.000-04:002019-04-25T15:54:49.375-04:00Alcoholism: The Silent Epidemic<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">April, being
Alcohol Awareness Month, I thought it appropriate to say a few words about
alcoholism and alcohol use issues. For the last several years, opiate overdose
deaths have made the headlines at the national, state, and local level. And
rightfully so. In 2017 there were 1,969 deaths due to opiate overdose in the
state of New Jersey. This has resulted in a lot of attention and resources being put
into combating the opiate addiction problem.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However,
during that same period of time, 1761 individuals died from alcohol related
causes. Nationally, alcohol these reached a 35 year high in 2014 with
close to 90,000 deaths related to alcohol misuse or alcoholism, according to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These statistics show that in 2014
more people died from alcohol induced causes than from overdoses of
prescription painkillers and heroin combined.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Later figures show that the number of deaths caused by alcoholism and alcohol
misuse is not significantly different from that of opiate overdose. So why is
it that there is not more attention given to the problems around alcohol? One
reason, and possibly the biggest reason, is that death from alcohol misuse is gradual and the primary causes of death are often listed as
liver disease, throat cancer, pancreatitis, and other alcohol related illnesses.
These deaths are not as visible as opiate overdose deaths. Of course,
alcohol related accidents are not gradual and we hear of many tragic traffic
deaths due to drunk driving, as well as boating accidents, falls, drownings, and
other mishaps caused by intoxication. Once again, alcohol is not identified as
the fatal cause.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So,
alcoholism and alcohol misuse problems are not as visible and as “in-your-face”
as opiate overdoses. And I certainly don’t want to take away from the tragedy
experienced by families who lose someone suddenly to an opiate overdose. But at
the same time we must not ignore or forget the impact that alcoholism and alcohol
misuse have on individuals and families.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In speaking
with friends and acquaintances it is difficult to find anyone who does not have
alcoholism or alcohol misuse somewhere in their immediate or extended family.
Both of my grandfathers had alcohol issues and their deaths were related to
their alcohol problems. I think there was a statistic years ago that showed
that four out of five individuals had alcoholism somewhere in their extended
family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So, in this
time of Alcohol Awareness Month, it’s helpful to examine the
impact that alcoholism and alcohol misuse has in our society and to begin to
focus some attention to this other epidemic. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />ATDWNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01885006958455942884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13874475.post-57885219196700484562019-03-26T11:22:00.002-04:002019-03-26T11:22:34.633-04:00BUILDING ON EARLY SUCCESSES<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> </o:p>I had the opportunity in March to testify on the proposed
state Budget before the Assembly and Senate Appropriations Committees. Even in
years with good economies (2019 being one), to me they’re a heartbreaking
exercise as there is never enough funding available to even come close to
sufficiently supporting all of the worthy functions people rely upon. So the
hearings are less an examination of state revenue and expenditures, and more a
conga line of school children, library directors, head-injured youngsters,
harried commuters, and people with developmental disabilities, among many, many
others, pleading with legislators to mitigate or restore cuts to their noble
programs. Some Assembly and Senate members have spoken of how helpful they find
the Budget Public Hearings, feeling that they make them aware of the needs of
the folks toiling in the trenches. Instructive as they may be, it must be
equally frustrating for these stewards of the public purse to have to tell
their constituents “no” or “maybe next year.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By comparison, the standing of those struggling with
addictions in these proceedings is greatly improved over the light in which
their needs were viewed even just a few years ago. When an addiction disorder
was seen as a sin, those affected could be disregarded. Now, with the general
understanding that what we’re dealing with is an illness, most policy makers
want to be helpful rather than dismissive, or even contemptuous. Consequently,
budget testimony can be one of calls to fund new programs and to enhance
existing ones with a record of success. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* The NJ Department of Human Services has recently awarded
one-time grants of $100,000 to peer-operated recovery community centers in each
of three counties (Warren, Sussex and Atlantic). These are in addition to
existing ones in Camden and Passaic counties. As welcome as these projects are,
they are time-limited steps that do not entirely ensure long-term
sustainability. These community centers provide a valuable oasis for many seeking
to maintain recovery.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* I was pleased that Governor Phil Murphy proposed renewing
the $100m allotment to projects that do battle with the opioid epidemic. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* Given the prevalence of the co-occurring maladies of
mental health and substance use disorders among the majority of people
struggling with behavioral health issues, initiatives within the NJ Department
of Human Services ought to be fully supported. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* Recovery coach programs have enjoyed large acceptance just
in the last couple of years. They are examples of peer-driven solutions that
should receive strong budgetary support from the state.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* The state is on the threshold of enacting legislation to
more completely implement the promise of parity. Insurance plans must ensure
they cover behavioral health on a par with the manner in which they reimburse
for physical care, in order for policies to be sold to consumers in the state.
The NJ Department of Banking and Insurance should receive whatever modest
appropriation necessary for it to enforce parity requirements.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Having heard from the public, the Budget Committees will
next receive input from Cabinet members as to the needs of each of their
departments. Following that, the legislators themselves will deliberate on the
final ingredients and parameters of the state Budget which must, as
constitutionally mandated, be adopted by July 1.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ed Martone, Policy Analyst<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
NCADD-NJ<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />ATDWNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01885006958455942884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13874475.post-4345828624671309812019-02-04T12:28:00.003-05:002019-02-04T12:28:54.667-05:00Handed the Torch: Changing Seasons and Advocacy Coordinators<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2018 was been a busy
year for our NCADD-NJ Advocacy Teams, and looking ahead to the coming year we
have no plans for stopping the momentum.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for
their warm welcome as I adjust to the role of Advocacy Coordinator. As an
NCADD-NJ Advocate for 6 years, I knew that Aaron Kucharski had made a
tremendous impact on countless advocates across the state, myself included, and
that taking over his role would be a large task. My background and experience
in addiction and recovery have prepared me well for this position, and it is an
honor to continue working with a program that has played such a pivotal role in
developing a recovery-ready New Jersey.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Six years ago I was introduced to NCADD-NJ through a
training held at Living Proof Recovery Center in Voorhees, NJ. I was an
employee at LPRC (one of 3 employees at the time: today there are more than
12), that helped plan and launch the second state-funded, peer-led recovery
center in the state. Part of my job was to book recovery-oriented events, and a
training entitled “Our Stories Have Power” was one of them. This training was a
major turning point in my own recovery, and in my professional path.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I approached Aaron after the training to thank him and to
let him know what a profound impact the last 2 hours had on me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked him directly: “How do I get your
job?” We laughed about it then, and we continue to laugh about it today. This
introduction to advocacy, and the power of language in recovery, woke something
up inside me. It would send me on a journey that culminated in receiving the
answer to the question I asked Aaron 6 years ago.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since entering the recovery field, I have held various
positions that have prepared me for a launch into full time advocacy work. I spent
several years with a Program of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) team,
where we assisted people with mental illness/addiction diagnoses directly in
their communities and homes. When the OORP (Opioid Overdose Recovery Program)
grants were distributed I launched the program in Gloucester County, and
oversaw expansion into 2 additional hospitals in Camden County, bringing the
number of programs in the county to 3. I returned to school and was trained as
an addictions counselor, and have worked in this capacity at several treatment
facilities in New Jersey. I am a trainer in SBIRT (Screening, Brief
Intervention, and Referral to Treatment), as well as a certified trainer for
the CPRS (Certified Peer Recovery Specialist) certification in New Jersey. My recovery
has been blessed with these opportunities to become a well-rounded addictions
professional; these experiences also have shown me the many gaps in services,
education, and opportunities available for those in, and seeking, recovery, as
well as their families. I bring a slightly different perspective to our
Advocacy Program, but I hope to be able to use my experiences to assist our
Advocacy Teams in addressing the issues within their communities.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The power of grassroots advocacy cannot be denied. When I
started as an NCADD-NJ Advocate, our primary focus was getting police to carry
naloxone, and to get rid of the statute that prohibited EMTs from administering
the same medication. It is hard to believe that this was a mere 6 years ago. We
have come a long way, but must recognize that there is still much to be done.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Heather Ogden</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Advocacy Coordinator Public Affairs and Policy <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence - New
Jersey <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />ATDWNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01885006958455942884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13874475.post-72783722711920896332018-12-27T13:02:00.001-05:002018-12-27T13:02:13.540-05:00OLDER AND WIDER<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> </o:p>I’m 67 years old and am trying to recall being 27. Back
then, I was idealistic, motivated and smart enough to get by. To be sure, 67
isn’t 27. I now know, and have experienced, more, and that seasoning hasn’t
dimmed my ardor to topple injustice but has served to only better inform it.
The decades have certainly given me more to think about. After marinating in
the stew of the state’s legislative processes for lo these many years, there
remains one question unresolved in my ruminations. Is the state government
relevant to the average person in New Jersey? Or, is it just a collection of
rascals acting on their petty ambitions off to the side of anything that really
matters? Both assertions are on full display daily. However, I would argue that
the government is capable of doing both a significant amount of good as well as
bad.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
NCADD-NJ’S Public Affairs Unit and Advocacy program are the
vehicles for warriors (young and old) to battle for a better human condition.
Our staff and volunteers have had a measurable impact on the crafting of public
policy in the Garden State. In particular, we’ve seen enacted, expungement
reform, drug court expansion, and enhanced substance misuse therapy for the
incarcerated, to name merely three. In general, NCADD-NJ has been in the
vanguard of the 180-degree change of perception of substance misuse as an
illness that requires treatment and recovery services from an earlier view that
saw it as a symptom of poor judgment that could be corrected by punishment.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Listed below are just a few of the measures moving in the
state Legislature in the final quarter of 2018. They have two things in common.
First, they all would improve the quality of life for those battling with
addiction. Second, none would have made it as far as they have without the
principled and experienced efforts of the people living with that
struggle and their families.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* A.2031/S.1339 – Ensures that insurance coverage for
behavioral health care be on a par with that for medical and surgical services,
and enhances oversight and enforcement of mental health and addiction parity
laws<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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* A.4866 – Requires institutions of higher education to
maintain a supply of opioid antidotes and permits the emergency administration
of same by campus medical professionals or trained employees<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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* A.4513 – Establishes a gross income tax credit of up to
$5,000 per year for physicians, physician assistants and advanced practice
nurses who volunteer to provide opioid use disorder therapy in a drug treatment
program <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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* S.2330 – Allows persons convicted of certain drug offenses
to qualify for a casino employee license<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* A.4131 – Establish vehicle staffing and performance
standards, as well as, review and reporting requirements for non-emergency Medicaid
transportation<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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* AJR 70/SJR 94 – Establish a temporary task force to
examine how best to treat individuals who experience multiple opioid overdoses
and reversals; and make recommendations to the Governor and Legislature<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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* A.4546/S.491 – Requires public and private high schools to
annually conduct written or verbal substance screenings on all students using a
particular program (SBIRT – Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to
Treatment)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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* A.1467 – Facilitate the establishment of four new peer-to-peer
recovery community centers<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* A.216 – Mandate police training for interactions with
people who may have behavioral health issues<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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* S.2100/A.3456 – Remove prohibition on voting by persons on
probation, parole or incarcerated<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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* S.2244/A.3292 – Mandate that all prescription opioid
medication include a warning sticker advising patients of the risk of addiction
and overdose<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* A.3288/S.948 - Designate sober living homes as beneficial
uses in the context of the Municipal Land Use Act<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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* S.2321/A.3898 – Authorize public libraries to maintain a
supply of opioid antidotes and permits emergency administration by trained
library personnel<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
* S.1324/A.1189 – Mandate that a portion of forfeited assets
in certain drug cases be directed to fund drug treatment<o:p></o:p></div>
<br /><br />
Ed Martone<br />
Policy AnalystATDWNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01885006958455942884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13874475.post-16399944036585472122018-09-07T12:18:00.003-04:002018-09-07T12:18:41.620-04:00MAKE AMERICA WELL AGAIN<br />
<br />
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<o:p> </o:p>The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence of
New Jersey, its volunteer Advocates, staff, and supporters embrace their duty
to help focus public officials’ on the implementation of policies that will
promote therapy and recovery over stigma and punishment. We have continued to
do this work in the first year of Governor Phil Murphy’s term and with the new
and returning members of the 2018/19 state Legislature. A quarter of the
legislative Term has concluded and there are a number of bills pending in the
State Capitol that deserve the consideration of drug policy activists. These
include:</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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S.1339/A.2031 – Enhance private insurance coverage of
behavioral health services on a par with physical, medical reimbursements –
This measure would require insurance carriers to submit more fulsome data on
efforts they have undertaken to adhere to parity requirements, give the state
Department of Banking and Insurance greater authority to enforce parity
compliance, and make the information publicly available. It is anticipated that
this proposal will be moved within the next few months. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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AJR70/SJR94 – Establish a temporary Task Force to examine
how best to treat individuals who experience multiple opioid overdoses and
reversals; and make recommendations to the Governor<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
and Legislature<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A.3741/S.2415 – Mandate that all pharmacies sell hypodermic
needles and syringes to any customer over eighteen - Further, the pharmacy must
make information available concerning both the safe disposal of used needles
and local resources for substance misuse therapy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
S.491 – Require public and private high schools to annually
conduct written or verbal substance screenings on all students using a
particular program ( SBIRT – Screening, Brief intervention and Referral to
Treatment)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A.1467 – Facilitate the establishment of four new
peer-to-peer recovery community centers<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A.216 – Mandate police training for interactions with people
who may have behavioral health issues<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
S.2100/A.3456 – Remove prohibition on voting by persons on
parole, probation or incarcerated<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A.3292/S.2244 – Mandate that all prescription opioid
medication include a warning sticker advising patients of the risk of addiction
and overdose<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
S.1756/A.4273 – Require insurance carriers to reimburse for
Suboxone and Subutex<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A.3288/S.948 – Designate sober living homes as beneficial
uses in the context of the Municipal Land Use Act<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A.1189/S.1324 – Mandate that a portion of forfeited assets
in certain drug cases be directed to fund drug treatment<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A.3838/S.2321 – Authorize public libraries to maintain a
supply of opioid antidotes and permits emergency administration by trained
library personnel<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A.4273/S.1756 – Require health benefits coverage for
buprenorphine and naloxone under certain conditions<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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A.4131 – Establish vehicle staffing and performance
standards, as well as, review and reporting requirements for non-emergency
Medicaid transportation<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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A measure that was signed in to law at the end of August,
was A.542/S.1830. This legislation requires al NJ high schools to maintain a
stock of the opioid overdose antidote, naloxone (brand name NARCAN). The school
nurse, or other trained staff, are authorized to administer the reversal drug
in an emergency. Those utilizing the drug in an emergency situation would be
indemnified from any criminal, civil or disciplinary liability. Further, the
manufacturer of NARCAN (Adapt Pharmaceuticals) has agreed to donate up to eight
dosages of the antidote to each school, thus allowing the school to avoid the
cost of stocking the reversal drug.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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For more on these proposals, or for contact information for
your representatives, see the N.J. Legislature’s website: <a href="http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/">www.njleg.state.nj.us</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />ATDWNJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01885006958455942884noreply@blogger.com0