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SPONSOR: |
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DATE TYPED: |
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HB |
719 |
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SHORT TITLE: |
8 County Regional Alcohol Treatment Center |
SB |
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ANALYST: |
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APPROPRIATION
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Appropriation
Contained |
Estimated
Additional Impact |
Recurring or
Non-Rec |
Fund Affected |
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FY03 |
FY04 |
FY03 |
FY04 |
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$22,500.0 |
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Recurring |
DWI
Program Fund |
(Parenthesis
( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Duplicates SB 638
Responses
Received From
Department
of Health (DOH)
Health
Policy Commission (HPC)
SUMMARY
Synopsis
of Bill
House
Bill 719 provides for an appropriation of $22.5 million beginning in FY04 and
ending in FY08 from the DWI Program Fund to the Department of Health (DOH) to
fund the operation of an eight-county regional alcohol treatment center and
intensive after-care and transitional living programs for Curry, De Baca,
Guadalupe, Harding, Quay, Roosevelt, San Miguel and Union counties.
HB 719 would
require the following expenditures:
·
$11
million to operate a regional alcohol treatment and inpatient alcohol treatment
facility in
·
$11.5
million for intensive after-care and transitional living programs for the eight
counties. Required services/activities include a comprehensive alcohol
treatment after-care and follow-up program, a youth treatment and after-care
and follow-up program, and a transportation system to and from the regional alcohol
treatment center.
The legislation also addresses
coordination, planning and evaluation programs to be administered by no fewer
than two representatives from the county health and wellness councils of each
county. The bill provides for a board of
advisors and representing each county that will participate in alcohol
prevention and treatment related training, mileage and per diem for the board
of advisors, and a quality assurance and evaluation services program to monitor
alcohol related statistics.
Significant
Issues
DOH questions the specific intent of HB
719, which was derived from the Eight-County Alcohol Initiative group. The department references the Center on
Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Addictions at UNM, and note that most studies
have shown no significant difference in the effectiveness between inpatient and
outpatient treatment in reducing recidivism of substance abusers. DOH states the cost of inpatient treatment is
significantly higher that that of outpatient treatment services. The DWI Grant Program currently provides
outpatient treatment services for DWI offenders in the eight county area.
Currently
there is shortage of inpatient treatment beds in the 8-County area. The closest inpatient treatment beds are in
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of
$22,500.0 contained in this bill is a expense to the DWI Program Fund over five
years [$4,500.0 per year] from 2004 through 2008.
The
critical fiscal implication relates to the origin of this funding. The language
used to identify the source of these funds in HB 719 is the “DWI Program Fund”.
This fund usually refers to a limited amount of money used to fund the DFA
Local Government Division’s DWI initiative. That budget is derived from a set
formula and would appear to be in conflict with this appropriation. Funds have
been allocated based on the formula. In
order to receive the funds that are necessary to operate the facility, a change
is required to the formula.
The
Local DWI Grant Fund receives approximately $12,000.0 per year to distribute to
the local
·
$9,000.0 to the counties to run evaluation,
prevention and treatment programs,
·
$1,000.0 to detoxification programs, and
·
$2,000.0 in grants to counties.
It is not clear in HB
719 how the proposed treatment facility and transitional programs would be
funded after 2008 when the proposed appropriation would terminate.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
The
administrative burden would be minimal. The two DOH Behavioral Health Services
Division Regional Care Coordinators that coordinate care in these eight
counties would administer the $4.5 million per year.
DUPLICATION, RELATIONSHIP
Duplicates
SB 638.
Relates
to:
SJM010 Alcohol Nutrition Study, which requests
DOH evaluate the effectiveness of nutrition as a component of treatment for
alcoholism.
HB257
Alcohol-Related Domestic Abuse Programs, which provides money in the DWI fund
for domestic abuse related to alcoholism.
SB387 Northern NM Alcohol
and Substance Abuse, makes an appropriation for substance abuse treatment in
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
According to the Office of Epidemiology, which
maintains the statewide DWI screening and tracking database, of the 1747 DWI
offenders screened from the eight county area, 824 (47%) were not recommended
for any type of treatment services and 819 (46%) were recommended for
outpatient treatment services.
As of July 2002, there were seven inpatient
detoxification and eighteen inpatient psychiatric facilities in NM (DOH,
Behavioral Health Needs and Gaps in
Lack of treatment for substance abuse in
BD/yr/njw