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

SPONSOR Varela

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

02/05/07

HB 379

SHORT TITLE Substance Abuse Intervention Treatment

SB

ANALYST Hanika Ortiz

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$1,300.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Public Defender Department (PDD)

Department of Health (DOH)

Human Services Department (HSD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 379 appropriates $1.3 million from the general fund to the DOH to expand brief

intervention treatment for substance abuse in New Mexico.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $1.3 million contained in the bill is a recurring expense to the general fund.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY08 shall revert to the

general fund. The appropriation request is not included in the Governor’s Executive Budget for

FY08.

Brief intervention services are being provided under the Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral

and Brief Treatment (SBIRT) grant included in the Value Options New Mexico contract. The

Department receives approximately $3.5 million per year for five years from a federal substance

abuse grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association. The grant is

currently in FY04 and will end in October 2008.

House Bill 372 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

DOH and HSD reports outcome data for individuals six months after receiving SBIRT services

in New Mexico show a 65% decrease in days of alcohol consumption; as well as a 5.6% decrease

in individuals having involvement with the criminal justice system. The findings also reveal a

13.4% increase in employment and/or education of individuals participating. There was a 10.4%

improvement in the number of individuals securing permanent housing and a 30% improvement

in the number of individuals who experienced no alcohol or illegal drug related health and

behavioral social consequences. The survey reflected a need for the full range of SBIRT services

to be available for positive outcomes to occur.

Brief interventions use time-limited, self-help and preventive strategies to promote reductions in

the case of nondependent clients, and in the case of dependent clients to facilitate their referral to

specialized treatment programs. The primary goal of brief interventions is to increase motivation

for behavior change. Brief intervention outcomes have shown positive results. The program

implements best practice protocols through the integration of primary care clinics and behavioral

health service treatment agencies. As of November 2006, a total of 32,509 New Mexicans were

screened for substance use through the SBIRT program of which 7,151 screened positive to

receive services. Brief intervention was given to 4,470 clients of which 1,208 required brief

treatment, and 204 were referred for specialty substance abuse treatment.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation requested will be managed through Value Options of New Mexico.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

In April 2005, Value Options New Mexico (VONM) was selected as the Statewide Entity for the

New Mexico Interagency Behavioral Health Purchasing Collaborative. VONM is the New

Mexico-based organization responsible for maintaining the behavioral health provider network

and managing the service delivery system in New Mexico.

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL

Additional funding may not be available to expand brief intervention treatment for substance

abuse in New Mexico.

AHO/nt