|
MONTGOMERY, AL (December 8, 2004) –
Recognizing the tremendous economic, social and health costs
caused by substance abuse in the State of Alabama, Governor Bob
Riley today launched the Alabama Commission for the Prevention
and Treatment of Substance Abuse. The state spends over $1
billion a year on the adverse affects of substance abuse and the
destruction it causes in our communities. Virtually all state
agencies that address issues related to substance abuse will
participate in the Commission’s efforts to provide treatment and
prevention more efficiently and successfully. The Commission
will hold its first meeting Thursday, December 9th at 7:30 am at
the RSA Activity Center (101 Dexter Ave). Governor Riley is
expected to speak, along with other officials.
More than 250,000 residents of Alabama need substance abuse
treatment, but the state’s publicly funded substance abuse
treatment system is able to accommodate less than 10 percent of
those citizens. To answer this need, the state is taking
aggressive action. The Commission will strengthen the work of
The Alabama Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation (MH/MR)
and its Substance Abuse Services Division. This office currently
leads the state’s efforts. The Commission will identify
opportunities for better use of existing resources and the
development and implementation of a strategic plan for Alabama’s
substance abuse prevention and treatment systems.
The formation of this new Commission grew
out of the Alabama Department of Mental Health and Mental
Retardation’s (DMH/MR) work with Resources for Recovery, a
national grant program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Resources for Recovery awarded a $200,000 grant to the DMH/MR in
2003 to help the department develop strategies that expand
alcohol and other drug abuse treatment capacity through more
effective use of existing state expenditures. With assistance
from Resources for Recovery, the Commission hopes to develop a
model for collaborated substance abuse services that will be
replicated in other states across the country.
Kent Hunt, Associate Commissioner for Substance Abuse Services
in the DMH/MR, will chair the multi-agency Commission. Alabama
state departments and offices with representatives on the
Commission include the office of the State Attorney General, the
Department of Corrections, the Department of Children Affairs,
the Department of Rehabilitation, the Department of Corrections,
the Department of Public Health, the Department of Education,
and others.
In an Executive Order signed by Governor
Riley in September of this year, the following goals were
outlined for the work of the Commission:
• Support the efforts of the Alabama
Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation in fulfilling
its statutory mandate to supervise, coordinate, and establish
standards for all operations and activities of the State of
Alabama related to alcoholism and drug addiction.
• Recommend initiatives to minimize the impact of substance
abuse and addiction in Alabama. • Identify
areas of interrelationship and opportunities for collaboration
between substance abuse prevention, treatment, education,
health, and enforcement programs and resources.
• Develop formal policies and procedures for coordination and
efficient utilization of these programs and resources.
The Governor’s Executive Order calls for
the Commission to meet at least four times annually. The
Commission will establish task groups, town meetings, forums,
and other groups to achieve its goals. An annual report will be
submitted to the Governor each year, providing a detailed
evaluation of the Commission’s activities and the impact of
these activities on Alabama’s substance abuse problem.
For more information on the work of the Commission, contact Kent
Hunt at (334) 242-3952. ###
Resources for Recovery is a three-year, $3 million grant
program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation established in
October 2002 to expand access and resources to alcohol and other
drug (AOD) treatment services. In an effort to close the gap
between untreated AOD abuse and current treatment capacities,
Resources for Recovery facilitates the development of strategies
to enhance treatment outcomes, support administrative
efficiencies, and explore diversified funding. For more
information, contact John O'Brien, National Program Director, at
617-266-5657 or go to
www.resourcesforrecovery.org. The
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, based in Princeton, N.J., is the
nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and
health care. It concentrates its grantmaking in four goal areas:
to assure that all Americans have access to quality health care
at reasonable cost; to improve the quality of care and support
for people with chronic health conditions; to promote healthy
communities and lifestyles; and to reduce the personal, social
and economic harm caused by substance abuse - tobacco, alcohol
and illicit drugs. More information on the Foundation can be
found at www.rwjf.org. |
