Fiscal impact reports (FIRs) are prepared by the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) for standing finance
committees of the NM Legislature. The LFC does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of these reports
if they are used for other purposes.
Current FIRs (in HTML & Adobe PDF formats) are a vailable on the NM Legislative Website (legis.state.nm.us).
Adobe PDF versions include all attachments, whereas HTML versions may not. Previously issued FIRs and
attachments may be obtained from the LFC in Suite 101 of the State Capitol Building North.
F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Maestas
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
1/28/08
HM 23
SHORT TITLE Counseling & Treatment Programs Database
SB
ANALYST Escudero
Relates To: HB240, HB358, HB368, HB369
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Responses Received From
Human Services Department (HSD)
Department of Health (DOH)
New Mexico Corrections Department (NMCD)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
House Memorial 23 requests that the Department of Health (DOH) and the Human Services
Department (HSD) establish and maintain a statewide database of substance abuse programs,
domestic violence, anger management counseling and treatment programs, and make it available
to providers, health and psychological professionals and others who may need to refer clients to
treatment.
The database proposed in House Memorial 23 would need to be continually updated and
maintained. Representatives of DOH and HSD would provide an update on the efforts to create
and maintain the database to the Legislative Health and Human Services Committee during the
2008 Interim Session.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
According to HSD, HM23 has no appropriation; therefore HSD would need to absorb some of
the cost of developing and maintaining a database.
The proposal will require input and participation from a number of DOH and HSD entities that
currently oversee or administer services related to the proposed database (e.g., PHD/OSAP for
substance abuse prevention services; ERD/OIP for domestic violence and anger management
services). Depending on the nature of the database solution (e.g., where it is located; who among
the participating agencies will design, build, and maintain the database infrastructure) DOH IT
and HSD DOIT staff may also be involved in the project. Finally, a lead agency/person from
HSD will likely need to be designated to provide a point of contact with DOH.
pg_0002
House Memorial 23 – Page
2
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA), Center for
Substance Abuse and Treatment (CSAT) services has developed and maintains a database of
substance abuse-related providers nationwide called the Inventory of Substance Abuse Treatment
Services (I-SATS). The I-SATS is a database that is updated by states nationwide. Currently,
HSD’s Behavioral Health Services Division (BHSD) provides substance abuse provider
information to CSAT as part of its Drug and Alcohol Services Information System (DASIS)
contract. The I-SATS database contains substance abuse provider information that can be found
when going to SAMHSA’s Facility Locator website at
http://dasis3.samhsa.gov
.
It may be possible for HSD and DOH staff to work with SAMHSA in an effort to assure that all
appropriate substance abuse, domestic violence; anger management counseling and treatment
program information is available through the I-SATS database and the Facility Locator to
providers, health and psychological professionals and others who may refer clients to treatment.
If this was an acceptable approach, the cost to HSD and DOH would be limited to having
existing staff work with SAMHSA. These staff would also have to spend time collecting the
provider information in order to update SAMHSA’s website. Estimated staff cost would be
approximately $50,000.
The IT cost associated in creating and maintaining a database of substance abuse programs
would be approximately $130,000.
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
According to DOH, HM23 addresses an important problem, the lack of a central database of
information for providers of services in three critical areas: substance abuse, domestic violence
and anger management counseling and treatment programs.
•
HM23 does not address various issues mentioned in the memorial such as “finding help
in a substance abuse program often requires a waiting period" and “[the} system of
substance abuse and treatment programs…is difficult to navigate…making it difficult to
coordinate an available treatment slot with an appropriate location".
•
HM23 would be improved by specifying what type of database is proposed – whether it
should be a simple list/registry of available providers/services or an online, centralized
scheduling system for clients/patients. HM23 is not clear on what specific function(s) the
database is supposed to perform for the scope of the project. The statewide database
system would require funding, yet there is no appropriation associated with HM23.
•
Anyone wishing to find substance abuse services must know which agency to contact,
whether it is DOH, HSD or one of the existing hot lines. Creation of a single database
would greatly assist providers and eliminate the time and frustration that can occur when
seeking services. To be most effective, the service would have to be well marketed and
accessible to consumers.
A behavioral health treatment provider directory is available at:
http://www.valueoptions.com/newmexico/provider/resources/VONM_ProviderDirectory.pdf
.
It lists services by state agency and county, along with contact information and type of service
provided, such as outpatient care, treatment foster care, residential treatment center, inpatient
hospital facilities, group home and shelter care. No further breakdown of services by substance
pg_0003
House Memorial 23 – Page
3
abuse programs or domestic violence and anger management counseling and treatment is given.
The Children, Youth, and Families Department (CYFD) funds domestic violence programs and
maintains a list of their service providers at
http://www.cyfd.org/domviolence.htm
. The Office of
Substance Abuse Prevention (OSAP) in the DOH maintains a written directory of OSAP funded
substance abuse prevention services. This directory is available on the DOH intranet only.
According to HSD, HM23 does not address the proposed solution (a database) or conditions that
informed the bill (e.g., “whereas, finding help in a substance abuse program often requires a
waiting periods"; “whereas, [the] system of substance abuse and treatment programs…is difficult
to navigate…making it difficult to coordinate an available treatment slot with an appropriate
location"). What specific functions will the database be expected to perform. HM23 is unclear
about what type of database is proposed (a simple list/registry of available providers/services. Or
an online, centralized scheduling system.). More clarity on what specific function(s) the
database is supposed to perform would help clarify the scope of the project.
DUPLICATION, CONFLICT, COMPANIONSHIP OR RELATIONSHIP
According to DOH, HM23 relates to:
HB240, which would appropriate $150,000 from the General Fund to the Local Government
Division of the Department of Finance and Administration for expenditure in FY09 for drug
abuse education and prevention in Lea County;
HB358, which would appropriate $100,000 from the General Fund to the Human Services
Department (HSD) for expenditure in Fiscal Year 2009 and subsequent fiscal years to contract
with a youth commission based in Las Vegas, New Mexico, for youth programs focused on
substance abuse and suicide prevention that involve training youth in government so they can
train their peers in other communities;
HB368, which proposes to appropriate $84,600 from the General Fund to the Department of
Health (DOH) for expenditure in fiscal year 2009 to contract for alcohol and substance abuse
treatment services in Talpa, NM; and
HB369, which would appropriate $140,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Health
(DOH) to contract for long-term drug and alcohol rehabilitation in Taos County.
PME/mt