The Raleigh Report
From the Office of Cullie Tarleton
September 29, 2008
Substance abuse has touched everyone’s life in one way or another and in the legislature we have tried to find ways to improve treatment for people who can’t afford private recovery services. Unfortunately, substance abuse destroys lives and families. The good news is that this disease can be treated. If someone in your family is abusing illegal drugs or alcohol please urge them and assist them to get into treatment.
Over the past two sessions, we have made changes in these programs that allow more efficient use of state money and set up a study group that continues to examine issues surrounding substance abuse services in North Carolina.
We have also expanded substance abuse treatment programs for our inmates in our attempt to reduce the numbers of people who return to prison. A recent study in Iowa found that up to 90 percent of the inmates there had a history of drug and/or alcohol abuse and that treatment programs in prison lowered the chances of recidivism. Another study found that prisoners in California who participated in substance abuse treatment had a recidivism rate of 27 percent, compared to a rate of 76 percent for other prisoners.
I have some additional information about some of our substance abuse treatment initiatives below. Thank you for allowing me to share this information with you and please let me know if you have questions or if I can provide any additional information.
Regional programs
The General Assembly has restructured the way the state funds and provides substance abuse programs. Previously, the state had divided the money among the 24 local groups that provide substance abuse and mental health services. Sometimes, the groups couldn’t use the money because it wasn’t enough for the services they needed and couldn’t be used for anything other than substance abuse treatment. A change in the law last year required that the state use at least $8 million over the next two fiscal years for regional substance abuse services. The local groups can now pool their money to buy services that they couldn’t afford on their own. The General Assembly has given the program $12 million over the past two years.
Task Force
The General Assembly also created a task force within the North Carolina Institute of Medicine to study substance abuse services in North Carolina. Among other items, the task force is required to:
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Identify models of care or promising practices for the prevention and treatment of substance abuse and develop recommendations to incorporate these models into the substance abuse service system of care.
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Examine different financing options to pay for substance abuse services at the local, regional and state levels.
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Examine the adequacy of the current and future substance abuse workforce.
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Develop strategies to identify people in need of substance abuse services, including people who have both mental health and substance abuse problems.
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Examine barriers that people with substance abuse problems have in accessing publicly funded substance abuse services and explore possible strategies for improving access.
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Examine the economic impact of substance abuse in North Carolina.
The task force issued a preliminary report and is required to issue a final report by the end of this year.
Prison programs
The General Assembly has spent about $3.4 million over the past two years to start a 50-bed substance abuse treatment program for female parolees and probationers. The program at the Black Mountain Correctional Center for Women offers 28-day and 90-day programs, allowing 300-360 women a year to receive treatment. Demand for the service is estimated at 4,725 women a year.
The legislature has appropriated $480,000 to add 10 bed spaces for male inmates receiving intensive treatment for alcohol abuse and addiction.
Notes
The State, like all of us is feeling the affects of the slow down in our economy. With revenue projections off from what we projected, the Governor is asking some agencies to reduce budgeted expenses by 2%. Even though we projected slower growth, revenue has slowed more than we projected. Exemptions are being made for public education, Medicaid and student financial aid as well as emergencies related to law enforcement, health care and public safety.
Our State Constitution requires a balance budget and I support the Governor in putting these budget reductions into effect. Lets all hope the economy improves soon. Just FYI, we are not alone. 31 states project a cumulative gap of more than $40 billion.
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