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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Altamirano

DATE TYPED 3-7-05

HB

SHORT TITLE Grant County Detox and Treatment Pilot Program

SB 887

ANALYST Collard

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

$380.0

Recurring General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Health (DOH)

Health Policy Commission (HPC)

Public Defender Department (PDD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 887 appropriates $380 thousand from the general fund to DOH’s Behavioral Health

Services Division for the purpose of continuing the alcoholism and drug addiction detoxification

and treatment pilot program at Yucca Lodge, located at Fort Bayard Medical Center in Grant

county.

Significant Issues

DOH notes this is the only residential detoxification treatment program in the four-county area

consisting of Luna, Grant, Catron and Hidalgo counties.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $380 thousand contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general

fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY06 shall revert to

the general fund.

Senate Bill 887 -- Page 2

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

PDD indicates alcoholism and drug addiction are national and statewide problems and treatment

is far more economical and productive than incarceration. PDD indicates if the program is suc-

cessful, it could positively impact the department by reducing the number of cases.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

The 2004 DOH Social Indicator Report shows for the years 2000-2002, Grant County ranked:

.

2nd for alcohol and drug related hospitalizations per 100,000 persons,

.

21

st

for drug related deaths per 100,000 persons,

.

18

th

for alcohol related deaths per 100,000 persons,

.

23

rd

for drug and alcohol related deaths together per 100,000 persons,

.

25

th

for DWI arrests per 10,000 licensed drivers in the state, and

.

14

th

for alcohol-involved crashes per 10,000 licensed drivers in the state.

The 2002 “Behavioral Health Needs and Gaps Assessment”, prepared for Behavioral Health

Services Division at DOH, indicates that adult and adolescent detoxification, residential sub-

stance abuse programs, crisis services and community-based substance abuse services are needed

in Grant County.

Yucca Lodge is a part of Fort Bayard Medical Center. It has been in existence for many years as

a substance abuse social detoxification program. However, as a result of a local needs assess-

ment by the Southwest New Mexico Behavioral Health Continuum of Care collaborative (COC)

in 2004, medical and psychiatric enhancements were added as a pilot program. This pilot began

in 2004 as a local collaborative effort representing Luna, Grant, Catron and Hildago counties.

The local collaborative identified a gap in the continuum of local treatment services, and this

program was designed to address that gap. This is the only social detoxification program in the

4-county area. It typically is at or near its 18-bed capacity, and is viewed as both necessary and

successful by the COC.

The Southwestern New Mexico Behavioral Health Continuum of Care, at Fort Bayard, Yucca

Lodge received a $500 thousand one-time special appropriation from Federal Fiscal Relief Funds

to establish a detoxification program in July 2004.

HPC indicates the following facts about Yucca Lodge:

.

Yucca Lodge is a Chemical Dependency Treatment Center, located on the campus of the Fort

Bayard Medical Center, a Long Term Care Nursing Facility.

.

Yucca Lodge is a state-wide, non-profit facility owned and managed by the State of New

Mexico, Department of Health.

.

Services offered include in-patient and out-patient programs.

.

The primary focus is substance abuse treatment services.

.

The type of care is residential short-term treatment (30 days or less).

HPC research on substance abuse shows:

.

The abuse of drugs is one of New Mexico’s most serious problems. The effects are readily

apparent and impact personal health, family, work, education, and the legal and correctional

systems. The impacts of alcohol and illicit drugs can lead to illness, crime and the incarcera-

tion of large numbers of New Mexicans.

Senate Bill 887 -- Page 3

.

Across the United States, injection drug use has contributed to the spread of HIV/AIDS. In

New Mexico, rates of HIV/AIDS infection are still low even among injection drug users;

however, over 80 percent of injection drug users are infected with Hepatitis C, and over 60

percent with Hepatitis B. Over a period of years, these infections can lead to liver cancer or

liver failure.

.

The DOH Behavioral Health Services Division has identified 128 thousand adults in New

Mexico who have substance abuse problems. Of those, 32 thousand sought treatment and

counseling services and 7 thousand were actually served as clients. Services are provided

from community based treatment centers throughout the state.

HPC research on alcohol abuse shows:

.

Alcohol and other drug dependence rates in New Mexico are considerably higher than the

national average. The national prevalence rate for all groups is 4.8 percent, while the preva-

lence rate for New Mexico is 6.5 percent.

.

Driving while intoxicated is the second largest category of offenses resulting in jail time.

.

Almost one-fourth of all New Mexico jail detainees have DWI offenses.

.

There were 13,737 total DWI convictions and 5,659 repeat DWI convictions in New Mexico

in 2001.

.

New Mexico’s alcohol-related motor vehicle (MV) fatality rates have all exceeded the United

States rates from 1992 to 2001. However, there has been significant reduction of MV fatality

rates in New Mexico since 1992; down from a rate of 17.3 in 1992 to 10.9 in 2001. Con-

versely, the MV rate in the United States was 7.0 in 1992 and 6.1 in 2001.

.

Alcohol consumption has been the leading cause of premature death in New Mexico. This

was due to cirrhosis of the liver as well as alcohol-involved motor vehicle crashes, suicide

and homicide.

Rates of Alcohol and Drug Dependence by New

Mexico Region

Source: DOH and Behavioral Health Needs and Gaps in New

Mexico, July 2002

7.54%

5.02%

4.63%

5.95%

4%

0.00%

4.00%

8.00%

Nor thw es t Nor th Centr al

and Nor theas t

Southw es t Southeas t Bernalillo County

Nor th w es t Nor th Centr al and Northeas t Southw est Southeas t Ber nalillo County

Lack of treatment for substance abuse in New Mexico also has costs beyond the delivery of

treatment services. Unrelated mental health and substance abuse disorders in New Mexico are

estimated to cost the state’s businesses, taxpayers and families more than $3 billion annually.

HPC also researches access to treatment issues:

As of July 2002, there were seven in-patient detoxification and eighteen in-patient psychiatric

facilities in New Mexico.

Senate Bill 887 -- Page 4

There are 186 out-patient services providers in New Mexico, though not all provide substance

abuse services. Access and availability of inpatient treatment services in rural areas may be lim-

ited, and in some cases not available locally.

Lack of treatment for substance abuse in New Mexico also has costs beyond the delivery of

treatment services. Unrelated mental health and substance abuse disorders in New Mexico are

estimated to cost the state’s businesses, taxpayers and families more than $3 billion annually. For

every dollar spent on alcohol and other drug treatment, $7.14 is saved by reductions in other so-

cial, governmental and economic costs.

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL.

DOH indicates if this bill is not enacted, additional state funding by way of a separate bill will

not be available to maintain the current alcoholism and drug addiction detoxification and treat-

ment pilot program model at Yucca Lodge at Fort Bayard Medical Center in Grant county.

KBC/lg