AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM REVIEW AND INVESTIGATIONS COMMITTEE CONCERNING SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT FOR ADULTS.

AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM REVIEW AND INVESTIGATIONS COMMITTEE CONCERNING SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT FOR ADULTS.

This bill (1) establishes specific topics, including benchmarks for state-operated programs, the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services' (DMHAS) state substance abuse plan must address; (2) requires DMHAS to consult with various groups in developing the plan; and (3) requires DMHAS to report on progress in achieving those benchmarks.

It also requires the Public Health Department (DPH), by January 1, 2011, to implement dual licensure for behavioral health care providers who provide both mental health and substance abuse services. It must do this by amending its substance abuse treatment regulations in consultation with DMHAS. The bill appears to address separate DPH licensure regulations for freestanding mental health and substance abuse treatment facilities. But DPH also licenses other behavioral health care facilities (e. g. , psychiatric hospitals) and individual professionals (e. g. , psychologists and clinical social workers) that might provide both of these services.

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2009 for the plan changes, October 1, 2009 for reports on plan outcomes, and upon passage for the DPH regulatory requirement.

Current law requires DMHAS to develop a state substance abuse plan for preventing, treating, and reducing alcohol and drug abuse includes statewide, long-term planning goals and objectives that are updated annually. The bill requires DMHAS to develop the plan by July 1, 2010 and then update it every three years.

Under current law, DMHAS must solicit and consider recommendations from the subregional substance abuse planning and action councils the law establishes. Under the bill, DMHAS must also consult with:

1. the Connecticut Alcohol and Drug Council (CADAC);

2. The Criminal Justice Policy Advisory Commission;

3. DMHAS clients and their families, including those in the criminal justice system;

4. treatment providers; and

5. other parties with interests in substance abuse disorders.

DHMAS must submit the final draft of the plan to CADAC for its review and comment.

The bill requires the plan to contain mission and vision statements and goals for providing treatment and recovery support services to adults with substance abuse disorders. It requires the plan to outline the action steps, timeframes, and resources needed to meet specific goals. At a minimum, the plan must address:

1. access to service both before and after admission to treatment;

2. comprehensive assessments for anyone asking for treatment, including people with both substance abuse and mental health problems (i. e. , co-occurring disorders);

3. treatment service quality and promotion of research- and evidence-based best practices;

4. an appropriate array of treatment and recovery services and a sustained continuum of care;

5. outcome measures for specific services in the overall system of care;

6. DMHAS policies and guidelines concerning recovery-oriented care; and

7. the community reentry strategy the Office of Policy and Management's (OPM) Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division developed for substance abuse treatment and recovery services inmates need.

The bill requires the plan to define measures and set benchmarks for the overall treatment system and each state-operated program. These must include:

1. the time required to receive services either from state agencies or the private providers they fund,

2. the percentage of clients who should receive treatment for 90 days or more,

3. treatment rates for people who ask for treatment,

4. rates at which people are connected to the appropriate level of care,

5. treatment completion and success rates as measured by outcomes related to substance use, employment, housing, and involvement with the criminal justice system.

The law requires DMHAS to report to the legislature, OPM, and CADAC every two years on various aspects of the substance abuse treatment system. This report must include the effectiveness of services based on outcome measures. The bill requires the report also to include the progress made in achieving the statewide plan's goals and benchmarks.

Yea

Nay

(03/05/2009)

Yea

Nay

(03/26/2009)