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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Roberta Leis, MEd, MPA, Join Together, Boston University School of Public Health, One Appleton Street, 4th floor, Boston, MA 02116, 617-437-1500, roberta@jointogether.org

Substance use disorder is a treatable, chronic disease, and individuals with this addiction should have the right to be free from legally imposed bans or other barriers based solely on their addiction, such as those related to healthcare and other public benefits. Despite this, individuals with these disorders rarely have access to evidence based treatment, largely because substance use disorder policy, treatment, and prevention do not get the attention they deserve at the state level. This is evidenced by the fact that although substance use disorders are responsible for about 13% of all state expenditures, only 0.5% of state spending is labeled substance use treatment and prevention.

To address this, Join Together convened a national panel, “Blueprint for the States.” Chaired by former Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis, the panel has heard testimony from over 30 experts and is in the process of forming a recommendations report, which will be released this summer. The policy recommendations will address the issues of state leadership and authority, infrastructure, funding, workforce development, prevention, treatment and recovery, and performance outcomes.

Workshop Description: Discussion of the policy recommendations and what the participants can do to help implement them.

Presentation Outline: Introduction, explanation of the process and purpose of the report 1. Discussion of guiding principles 2. Discussion of the infrastructure of substance use delivery systems, state models, and the role of leadership 3. Discussion of multi-agency coordination recommendations, including issues of state leadership, state funding streams, workforce development, prevention, treatment and recovery, and performance outcomes

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss the healthcare barriers for individuals with substance use disorders.
• Explain why the role of strong leadership at the highest levels of state government including governors, state legislators, and the judiciary is critical to a state’s successful implementation of effective drug and alcohol policy to reduce these barriers.
• Discuss why state governments should craft drug and alcohol policies that encompass and confront the full impact of substance use on their citizens, addressing no only the user, but also the user’s family, coworkers and community.
• Articulate what the recommendations are to improve the state-wide prevention and treatment systems and discuss how they can be implemented.
• Discuss the recommendation regarding performance outcomes and demonstrate what can be done to help improve state-wide evaluation mechanisms and the usage of evidence-based models.
• Discuss recommendations for integration of funding streams for more effective delivery of treatment.

Keywords: Policy/Policy Development, Alcohol

Related Web page: www.jointogether.org/blueprint

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No