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2014 Session

Budget Amendments - HB30 (Member Request)

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Chief Patron: Hodges
Increase Funds for Substance Use Disorder

Item 308 #14h

Item 308 #14h

First Year - FY2015 Second Year - FY2016
Health and Human Resources
Grants To Localities FY2015 $12,316,080 FY2016 $13,576,080 GF

Language
Page 270, line 5, strike "$353,662,156" and insert "$365,978,236".
Page 270, line 5, strike "$361,349,536" and insert "$374,925,616".


Explanation
(This amendment provides $12.3 million the first year and $13.6 million the second year from the general fund to increase services for treating substance use disorder. Funding will be prioritized to expand medical detox services, residential treatment services, peer support services, and a community recovery pilot program to Southwest Virginia. Medical detox services are a vital first step in recovery. Some localities have either limited or no access to this critical service. Virginia has lost over 80 community-based medical detox beds in the last several years, which equals a net loss of over 29,000 bed days of medical detox services per year. Residential treatment is a critical step after detox for individuals who are not deemed ready to return to their home environment. Extended time in a controlled environment decreases relapse and increases connection with peer support leading to a more comprehensive recovery plan before returning home. This resource is very limited throughout Virginia and non-existent in many areas of the Commonwealth. Successful recovery also requires strong peer recovery support at every point in the continuum of services. Peer recovery supports are critical throughout and after the treatment process to sustain health, productivity, and economic success. These services include recovery coaching, mentorship, social supports, transportation, and assistance with employment and housing. Finally, funding would expand the Community Economic and Recory Program in Southside Virginia, a pilot program, to Southwest Virginia. This pilot project is a successful recovery model that focuses on employment, health care, family, and housing for individuals who have completed treatment and who are in early recovery. Key partners in the pilot include WIA One Stop Employment Centers, Federally Qualified Healthcare Centers, local employers, and substance use treatment resources. The pilot’s design includes rigorous outcome and return on investment measures. Replication of the Community Recovery Program model in the far Southwest region will offer long-term success for individuals struggling with addiction, decrease the devastating statistics of drug-related deaths, and increase economic productivity as well as other measures of financial stability.)