July 11, 2001
MAADAC Announcements:
hMAADAC Website: http://www.maadac-ma.org
hMAADAC Golf Fundraiser, July 23rd. Go!!
Shaun Kelly in charge!
hLADC Regulation Draft
Approved for DPH Regional Hearings
hRecovery Month 2001-State
House Celebration- September 26- Please come!
MA Legislation Proposals:
H2191 An Act Authorizing Certain
Licensed Alcohol and Drug
Counselors To
Receive Certain Insurance
Payments, Rep. Kevin Fitzgerald and
others
Present Status
H2191 placed in “active study” by The Joint Insurance Committee. This means that the Insurance
Committee will continue to review the proposed legislation.
Two issues for extended study consideration:
insurance premium costs and
finalized
regulation. The committee wants to ascertain that mental health parity costs
are minimal to insurance premiums before any other insurance related
legislation is passed.
The committee
wants to review the finalized license regulation.
FYI: On June 26th, The Department of Public Health
Council approved the license regulation draft for public hearing. The
Department of Public Health will schedule, two regional hearings for public
comment in late August or September. Pending outcome will determine when
regulations are put into effect. If you want a copy of the regulation draft,
please call-The MA Bureau of Substance Abuse Services, Michael Parks,
617-624-5155.
Please Help:
Keep the
momentum going If your elected rep or senator helped
support H2191~ please thank them, and ask for continued support. Please
thank
Representative Fitzgerald for leading the effort. Please thank
Insurance Committee
Chairs, Sen. Therese Murray and Rep Ronald Mariano for being willing to
extend the
review. Send your letters to
The State House, Boston, MA 02133. Call
the State House:
617-722-2000 to be connected to your legislators.
The
Conference Committee resolves the differences between the House and Senate
versions
of the Budget. House Conferees are Ways
and Means Chairman John Rogers of Norwood, Representative Nancy Flavin of
Easthampton, and Representative John Lepper of Attleboro. Senate Conferees are Ways and Means Chairman
Mark Montigny of New Bedford, Senator Fred Berry of Peabody, and Senator
Michael Knapik of Westfield. If
aforementioned are your district legislators- great. If not, you can still contact them and your
elected legislators.
The MA Senate Passed Substance Abuse Services Line Item Increase
Bureau
of Substance Abuse Services Line item 4512-0200- by $3 million for 3 family treatment
residences with childcare, plus expand transitional support and residential
services., as passed in the Senate.
Project ABLE, Mental Health Substance Abuse Corp (MHSACM),Recovery Homes
Collaborative, MA Housing and Shelter Alliance are leading this move. More Information? Please call: MHSACM,
508-647-8385.
The CORI Regulations as Outside Budget Senate Amendment to
Executive Office of Health
and Human Services Line Item 4000-0100 towards giving the employer
the hiring capacity. Please thank Senator James Jajuga for leading this move. The requirement is proof of
a CORI review with oversight from the appropriate agency within EOHHS,
Executive Office of Health and Human
Services. Current policy disallows many persons who have made restitution from
most felony crimes to enter the human service field, as in alcohol and drug
counseling.
Info: MA Law Reform Institute:617-357-0700.
Removal of Food Stamp Disqualification for Persons with Drug Felony Senate
Version to
Line items 4401-1000 (ESP) and
Dept of Transitional Assistance 4400-1000
The
Senate FY02 budget includes language
in ESP line item 4401-1000 making many
important improvements to the TAFDC program for non-exempt low income
families,
- mandating DTA to
offer screenings, assessments and
referrals to TAFDC
- prohibiting DTA
from reducing funding for substantive pre-employment education and
training programs & DTA must notify recipients of educational programs
- requiring DTA to consider if a parent needs more time to
complete training, thus grant an extension of the 24 month time limit
on benefits.
In
addition, allowing ten hours of education and training to count toward the
welfare to work requirement. Info: Call MA Law Reform Institute: 617-357-0700.
More Legislation to Support
was placed into active study by The Insurance Committee.
Info: David Matteodo, MA
Association of Behavioral Health Systems, 617-855-3520.
H3948, Expansion
of Scope of Commonwealth’s Drug Treatment Program funded by
fines and forfeitures relative to Drug
Offenses, (Rep. Kevin
Fitzgerald). Expands drug treatment
diversion under the 1981 Drug Dependent Persons Act. It received an extension from The Judiciary Committee. Chairs are
Representative David Donnelly and Senator Robert Creedon. Please
call: Rob Stewart, 617-330-8777.
S611, A Health Protection Fund- (Senator Marian Walsh) taxes alcohol,
funds treatment. Taxation Committee moved it into active study. Senator Walsh is Chair.
National
Legislative Proposals
hVery
Simple- Support National Parity for Addiction Treatment-
Go
to WWW.NAADAC.Org-
Make your voice heard to Congress on line!
hHR-
7 Charitable Choice as
currently written makes no provision to adhere to
regulatory treatment standards and promotes employment
discrimination. Not good!
Help plan Recovery Month – August 1, 3:30 PM.
,Atrium 2, Faulkner Hospital
MAADAC Information: Call President Russell Viveiros, 978-458-4544
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