June 27th, 2011
Substance abuse and mental health services administration (SAMHSA)
A new report from SAMHSA shows significant growth in substance abuse treatment admissions related to alcohol, prescription opiates and marijuana among those 12 and older from 1999 to 2009. The report by SAMHSA particularly shows that that like in Ohio prescription opiates continues to pose serious problems nationally, as one of the most notable shifts that has occurred is the rise in admission attributed to prescription opiate addiction, having risen from 8% of all opiate admissions in 1999 to 33% in 2009. “These data underscore the severity of our Nation’s prescription drug abuse epidemic and the importance of public awareness regarding the harms caused by drug use,” said Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National Drug Control Policy.
Another trend shows that while alcohol problems decreased from 48-percent in 1999 to 39-percent in 2005, they steadily increased to 42-percent in 2009. Additionally, with the exception of persons of Puerto Rican origin, alcohol was the leading drug of abuse for treatment admissions among all major ethnic and racial groups except.
“The full report is available on the web at http://wwwdasis.samhsa.gov/teds09/teds2k9nweb.pdf.
Have a great week!
Cheri L. Walter
Chief Executive Officer
Posted in CEO Minutes |
June 20th, 2011
Thank you all for your advocacy efforts last week!
You sent over 400,000 emails, and made literally thousands of call to members of the 129th General Assembly and the Governor’s office, letting them know that Ohio’s community alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services system needs attention and funding! This coming week we should find out if the members of the general assembly and the administration heard our request and put additional funds into community alcohol, drug addiction and mental health services. Stay tuned, as soon as we know, we will let you know!
Thank you for your commitment and ongoing support for Ohio’s community alcohol, drug addiction and mental health services.
Remember, Treatment Works and People Recover!
Have a GREAT WEEK!
Cheri L. Walter
Chief Executive Officer
Posted in CEO Minutes |
June 17th, 2011
This Health Care Reform update includes information about the status of legal challenges, accountable care organizations, electronic health records, and pre-existing condition insurance plans. Click here to read this update.
Posted in Health Care Reform |
June 15th, 2011
TODAY – we are ASKING everyone concerned with having alcohol, drug addiction and mental health services available for Ohioans to be a part of the single largest behavioral health STATEWIDE ADVOCACY DAY EVER! We will all be simultaneously advocating for additional funds with Ohio House and Senate leadership, Conference Committee members, the Office of Budget & Management, as well as the Governor’s Office. We are asking that Conference Committee members add an additional $15 million per year to the Ohio Department of Mental Health 505 line, and an additional $13.5 million per year to the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services 401 line. Let the following individuals know why it is important to you that alcohol, drug addiction and mental health services are adequately funded in Ohio.
Today’s advocacy steps:
Step 1: Send an email to the members of the 129th General Assembly and the administration by clicking here.
Step 2: Call the following individuals and let them know how important alcohol, drug addiction and mental health services are to you and that they need to be adequately funded.
Leadership:
Governor John Kasich (614) 466-3555
OBM Director Tim Keen (614) 466-4034
Senate President Tom Niehaus (614) 466-8082
Senate Minority Leader Capri Cafaro (614) 466-7182
House Speaker Bill Batchelder (614) 466-8140
House Minority Leader Armond Budish (614) 466-5441
Conference Committee Members:
Senator Chris Widener (614) 466-3780
Senator Shannon Jones (614) 466-9737
Senator Michael Skindell (614) 466-5123
Representative Ron Amstutz (614) 466-1474
Representative John Carey (614) 466-1366
Representative Vernon Sykes (614) 466-3100
Forward this ADVOCATE NOW to anyone you know who will help us advocate for behavioral health, also post it on your Twitter, Facebook, and Blogs sites.
Have a great day!
Posted in CEO Minutes |
June 13th, 2011
THIS Wednesday June 15, 2011 we are ASKING everyone concerned with having alcohol, drug addiction and mental health services available for Ohioans to be a part the single largest behavioral health STATEWIDE ADVOCACY DAY EVER! We will all be simultaneously advocating for additional funds with Ohio House and Senate leadership, Conference Committee members, the Office of Budget & Management, as well as the Governor’s Office. We are asking that Conference Committee members add an additional $15 million per year to the Ohio Department of Mental Health 505 line, and an additional $13.5 million per year to the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services 401 line. Let the following individuals know why it is important to you that alcohol, drug addiction and mental health services are adequately funded in Ohio. Remember we want you to contact each person with an email and a call ON WEDNESDAY JUNE 15th! The individuals that we want you to contact are:
CONFERENCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Forward this ADVOCATE NOW to anyone you know who will help us advocate for behavioral health, also post it on your Twitter, Facebook, and Blogs sites.
Have a great week!
Cheri L. Walter
Chief Executive Officer
Posted in CEO Minutes |
June 7th, 2011
Opiate Summit Attracts Statewide Attention
On April 5, 2011 nearly 1,000 individuals gathered in Columbus for Ohio’s Opiate Epidemic: A Summit on Policy, Prevention, and Treatment. The participants in this Summit heard Governor John Kasich, Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Director Orman Hall, Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Theodore Wymyslo, State Representative Terry Johnson, and State Representative Dave Burke discuss their plans to address Ohio’s opiate epidemic.
There is no doubt that Ohio has an opiate problem.
- From 2000-2008, there was more than a 300% increase in overdose deaths where opiates were listed on death • certificates. (Ohio Department of Health)
- In 2010, 67 doses of opiates were prescribed for every man, woman, and child in the state of Ohio. (Ohio • Automated Rx Reporting System)
- Prescription painkillers accounted for nearly 37 percent of unintentional overdose deaths in 2008. (Ohio • Department of Health)
The Opiate Summit brought together physicians, professionals from health care, addiction prevention and treatment, judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement professionals to gain a common understanding of the problems and best practice solutions to address opiate abuse, addiction, and diversion. The morning session hit on policy goals and strategies and the afternoon provided details about current and developing programs to address the prevention, criminal justice, and treatment aspects of the opiate issue. (more…)
Posted in Newsletter |
June 7th, 2011
April 2011
A Comprehensive Look at Behavioral Health Financing
There is no great mystery about how public alcohol, drug addiction and mental health systems should operate. An effective mental health system will include a fully-funded comprehensive continuum of care, in which state hospitals for the most severely ill are fully integrated with a spectrum of community based services, such as short-term inpatient facilities, crisis centers, Assertive Community Treatment teams, housing and job placement programs, and jail diversion. The key is a balance between adequate inpatient slots and a robust set of community services that keep people out of inpatient beds. A similar continuum of care is also required for treating addiction ranging from residential services to outpatient services and supports. According to New York’s Mental Health Commissioner Mike Hogan, there are three fundamentals that serve as the hallmarks of a healthy system serving people with alcohol, drug addiction and mental health needs: 1) a relatively localized structure – such as counties or community services boards – that can both coordinate and take responsibility for a patient’s care; 2) the financing array of state, federal and local funds has to align with that localized system of care; and 3) the funds have to be adequate enough to do the job and be sustainable over time. (more…)
Posted in One Pager |
June 6th, 2011
To stay informed about the progress of several challenges to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, visit the Scoreboard maintained by Kaiser Health News. This site provides an overview of each case and update about the current status of the 26 federal lawsuits seeking to overturn all or part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Posted in Health Care Reform |
June 6th, 2011
A recent Washington Post article highlights the progress of many states in implementing provisions of the Affordable Care Act. To-date less than one-fourth of states have taken concrete steps to create health insurance exchanges, a central provision of the Affordable Care Act. To read this article in its entirety, click here.
Posted in Health Care Reform |
June 6th, 2011
This is advanced notice that on Wednesday June 15, 2011 many of the statewide advocacy organizations representing, consumers/clients, families, providers, boards and other stakeholders of alcohol, drug addiction and mental health services will be simultaneously advocating for additional funds with Ohio House and Senate leadership and Conference Committee members.
We are going to be putting out information next Monday June 13, 2011 with the message, persons to be contacted, and ways to contact folks. We are asking you now to save next Wednesday afternoon and plan to have your organization, friends, families etc. help us advocate for an acceptable level of funding for community based behavioral health services. Stay tuned and make sure you check back next week!
Have a great week!
Cheri L. Walter
Chief Executive Officer
Posted in CEO Minutes |
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