The National Impact   An update for friends of the National Advocacy Campaign for Smarter and More Effective Alcohol and Drug Policies May 3, 2011 In This Issue Thanks to Huge Field Push, SAMHSA Avoids Big Cuts in FY 2011  Advocating for the Strongest Possible Funding in FY 2012 Budget update for FY 2012 Analysis of SAMHSA's Budget Funding Recommendations Congressional Calendar One-Pager on Cost Savings   ACA Implementation for People with SUD and MH Service Needs More Webinars from SAMHSA and LAC Parity 101" and "Parity 201  What's Happening in Healthcare Reform in 2011? Health Homes and Accountable Care Organizations How to Comment on Federal Regulations   Quick Links The Roadmap for Smarter and More Effective Alcohol and Drug Policies 2009 Benchmarks Opportunities and Threats Join the Campaign Now!         Welcome back to “The National Impact,” our monthly e-newsletter to keep you updated on the campaign’s advocacy efforts! Many thanks to all the supporters who have made our successes possible.  Together, we can dramatically alter the national landscape so that fewer people suffer from alcohol and drug problems, the addicted receive the care they need, and people in recovery can live healthy and productive lives.    Thanks to Huge Field Push, SAMHSA Avoids Big Cuts in FY 2011 After much debate, Congress finally resolved the FY 2011 funding process in April. The final FY 2011 spending package, which became law on April 15th, includes $38.5 billion in cuts. Although funding for Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) programming will be cut by over $3.4 billion from last year’s levels, SAMHSA sustained a comparatively small cut, thanks to a huge effort by the field. In the end, SAMHSA will receive $3.378 billion in FY 2011, a cut of $52.6 million, or about 1.5 percent. Under a previous House-approved spending bill, SAMHSA would have been cut by over $200 million. The FY 2011 spending bill includes very little text directing agencies about individual program funding levels; we will know more on that front in the next few weeks, so please check back for that update in next month’s newsletter. Thanks again for all of your great advocacy!   Advocating for the Strongest Possible Funding in FY 2012 Work on the FY 2012 funding process is moving quickly in Congress. Follow this link for an update LAC put together on the House and Senate FY 2012 budget process, the response from policymakers and the advocacy community, and next steps.  Working with national organizations from the substance abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery field, LAC and SAAS have also put together an analysis of SAMHSA's FY 2012 budget and a set of funding recommendations. With the current emphasis on cuts, we will need a strong, unified voice to ensure that drug and alcohol programming receives the highest possible funding in 2012.  What Can You Do?  Reach out to your Members of Congress and their staffers to: Provide specific information about drug and alcohol programs and initiatives in their district/state, the number of constituents employed by these programs, and the great work you all do; Schedule program visits for your Members while they’re in the home district during Congressional recesses;  Educate them about the president’s FY 2012 budget proposal and advocate for the field’s funding requests; and  Emphasize that prevention, treatment and recovery support services save lives and huge amounts of money.   ACA Implementation for People with SUD and MH Service Needs In its role as a co-leader of the Coalition for Whole Health, LAC continues to work to ensure that ACA implementation fully and equitably includes SUD and MH services and service providers.  The Coalition has formulated work-groups in a number of key areas: Benefit design Needs in the states The criminal justice-involved population Service delivery In addition, the coalition is drafting comments in response to the proposed Accountable Care Organization (ACO) regulations released last month.   More Webinars from SAMHSA and LAC "Parity 101" and "Parity 201," presented in February, were the first in a series of healthcare reform webinars offered by SAMHSA, and conducted by LAC, for consumers, providers and state officials. Now posted online, they focus on implementing the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. In March and April, LAC staff presented the webinars "What's Happening in Healthcare Reform in 2011?" and "Health Homes and Accountable Care Organizations." Coming up this month: "How to Comment on Federal Regulations." For information and registration, see LAC's healthcare reform page.   Join the Campaign!!   These advocacy efforts are just the beginning. As a friend of the substance use disorder field and as someone who believes in the power of advocacy and the reality of recovery, we know that you will find the National Advocacy Campaign for Smarter and More Effective Drug and Alcohol Policies as exciting as we do. In order to make the work of the campaign possible, please consider joining the effort to change alcohol and drug policies. Become a member by making a secure online contribution today (and select the National Advocacy Campaign from the drop-down box). Thank you for your support!   Innovators Illinois Alcoholism & Drug Dependence Association • Jason R. Flom   Champions The Association of Substance Abuse Programs in Texas • Community Partnership of Southern Arizona • The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation • Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceutical Founders Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. • Agency for Community Treatment Services, Inc. •  Association for Behavioral Healthcare of Massachusetts • Baltimore Behavioral Health • Bridges for America  •  Terry Brown • Charles Bush California Association of Addiction Recovery Resources • CARON-Comprehensive Addiction Treatment Recovery for Life • Randolph E. Cloud • Colorado Association of Alcohol & Drug Service Providers, Inc. • John Coppola • County Alcohol and Drug Program Administrators Association of California • DePaul Treatment Centers, Inc. • Richard J. Dillon • Drug and Alcohol Service Providers Organization of Pennsylvania • Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association • Florida Certification Board • Debra Gilmour • Adam Harrington • Cynthia Humphrey • JBS International, Inc • Robert B. Levy • Maine  • Mississippi Association of Addiction Services  •  Richard J. Nance • National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence - Maryland • Nevada Alliance for Addictive Disorders Advocacy, Prevention and Treatment Service • Ohio Council of Behavioral Health and Family Services Providers • Operation PAR, Inc. • Oregon Prevention Education and Recovery Association • Proaction Behavioral Health Alliance • Michael F. Reagan • Rosecrance Substance Abuse Treatment Centers • Paul N. Samuels • Arthur J. Schut • Julie Shepard • Spectrum Programs, Inc/Miami Behavioral Health Center, Inc. • David Sterling • The Harbor Behavioral Health Care Institute • The Refuge, a Healing Place • TopLine Professional Strategies, LLC • Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities of Illinois • Utah Behavioral Healthcare Network • Thomas Van Wagner • Becky Vaughn Friends BayCare Behavioral Health  •  Central Florida Behavioral Health Network  •  Drug Abuse Treatment Association  •  EPIC Community Services •  Franklin-Williamson Human Services, Inc. • Gateway Community Services  •  Patrick Maloy • Craig Peck • The South Suburban Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse • Sutton Place Behavioral Health  •  Parker Thomson  •  Tri-County Human Services  •  The Village South (Westcare)     Donors Herbert Barish McKyle Clyburn • Thomas M. Del Vecchio • George Demarest • The Janssen Foundation • Beth Lang • Bruce Lesman • Barrett L. Silver • John B. Trammell • Arthur Wallace Thank you for supporting the National Advocacy Campaign!