MAADAC Region IV/VI News
Massachusetts Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
Counselors,Inc.
December 6, 2000
MAADAC Holiday Breakfast- December 21st, The Radisson Milford!
Focus- Status of the LADC- License for Alcohol and Drug Counselors. We will hear from Deborah Klein Walker ~ Associate DPH Commissioner of Programs and Prevention, Interim Bureau of Substance Abuse Services Director, Denise Devlin ~ NEAAR Community Relations, Mary Ann Hart ~ our lobbyist, NAADAC Political Action Committee Chair ~ John Avery, NAADAC Northeast VP Mary Woods and other friends. Plus- Awards, Benefit Drawing, 3 certification credits, and fun! All this for $30. Join MAADAC and NAADAC- take $10 off the Breakfast –and you have a deal!
You are wanted to make it special.
NAADAC Sponsored Public Policy Conference February 4th-6th!
The Public Policy Conference, Washington DC, is a wonderful opportunity for counselors, administrators, recovering persons, family, and friends to be informed and inform legislators and peers about legislation/policies which need to enhance the positive contributions of addiction recovery to society. Sponsors invited to financially support it.
Your attendance wanted. Questions: Please call NAADAC at 1-800-548-0497.
Criminal Offender Report
Information – CORI- Public Hearing-
January 19th
On December 1st, The Department of Public Health put into effect – 90 day emergency regulations, respective of the review of criminal records of prospective employees, volunteers, or trainees having the possibility of unsupervised client contact. On January 19th, you are invited to give public testimony, and supply a written copy. First- remember that the CORI (criminal history) checking process is the state’s way of attempting to prevent persons with certain criminal histories from working where harm might be done to the public. However, issues of raised concern:
Lifetime Bars for persons, who committed crimes, while under the influence- and have made restitution and are now in recovery- often make for good human service professionals, especially alcohol and drug counselors.
Provisions for Rebutting Presumptive Disqualifications for persons with 5 and 10 year periods of barred employment, call for certain correction officers to provide written certificates that the individual poses no risk to society. A possible problem is that correction officers, are probably not permitted to provide such certificates. An alternative is to have a forensic psychiatrist or psychologist do an evaluation, which generally costs
$500- $2,000. That could be too expensive for many providers.
Please get and review the procedures from the Department of Public Health. Please send your written suggestions, by January 26th, that might allow for a more workable CORI Policy to: LouAnn Stanton, Department of Public Health, 250 Washington Street,
Boston, MA 02108. Let me know, too!
Legislation Relative to Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Submitted
for 2001
iTwo Substance Abuse Treatment Parity Bills have been filed. Parity passed would
cause insurers to provide coverage for treatment, with equal standards as provided for
other healthcare.
iDrug Forfeiture Money for Drug Treatment Funds Reappears!
MAADAC files Legislation for
Vendorship for LADC I –Lobbyist, Mary Ann Hart
The purpose of vendorship is to allow the consumer to use his/her insurance to a government recognized independent clinicians. The irony has been that alcohol and drug counselors have this expertise, and other “vendored “ licensed professionals, who may not be qualified, are recognized. This is not fair to the consumer. In 1999, legislation passed providing for the title and enactment to begin the LADC regulation process. Vendorship is the next step, which is being filed now, versus later- so we will not become forgotten faces before the state legislature. It is a challenging route because historically vendorship bills take “time.” Our guides are Rep. Kevin Fitzgerald and 20 cosponsors.
Legislation filed to amend
Grandparenting section of LADC Law
Language in the LADC law- specifically, “that the applicant meets all other qualifications and requirements for licensure and establishes, through an alternate means acceptable to the department, competency in each subject area covered by the examination” has caused a “grand parenting problem.” As interpreted for LADC I, it means that one would have to have a masters degree in a behavioral science with demonstrated alcohol and drug counseling competencies. If the word and had been or-equivalent masters degree criteria for the exam waiver for LADC I, could have been developed. Thus, a compromise has been filed for legislation to amend this section-that includes for Level I Masters- 270 hours AOD ed, 2 years fulltime experience or Bachelors-270 hours AOD-3 years or CCS-CADAC-CAC-CAS-CEAP or DPH Clinical, Program, Executive Directors or 5 years work experience with 1 year as a clinical supervisor. Level II- 3 years working experience and 180 hours of AOD ed.
Your thoughts are appreciated. More information to follow on the legislative process.
Arthur Friedman, DPH Consultant for LADC Draft Writing- Guest Speaker
Greg Arsenault, Amos Marshall, Ray Hoitt, Susan DeColaines, Greg Arsenault, John Frazier, Jim Carroll, Kate Carney, Dan Heenan, Maryanne Frangules and Louise Sutherland dialogued with Arthur, as he shared the current draft, which includes 23 sections from Purpose to Severability. He noted the proposal for a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Manager and a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor Associate. Curious-Please come to the next regional meeting- January 10th, 4:30 PM, Atrium I, Faulkner Hospital.
Sincerely Yours-Maryanne Frangules-MAADAC
President-617-298-1262