RD298 - 2010 Substance Abuse Services Council Response to Code of Virginia § 2.2-2697


Executive Summary:
The 2004 Session of the General Assembly amended the Code of Virginia (§ 2.2-2697) directing the Substance Abuse Services Council to collect information about the impact and cost of treatment for substance use disorders provided by public agencies in the Commonwealth and to:

“…include the following analysis for each agency-administered substance abuse treatment program: (i) the amount of funding expended under the program for the prior fiscal year; (ii) the number of individuals served by the program using that funding; (iii) the extent to which program objectives have been accomplished as reflected by an evaluation of outcome measures; (iv) identifying the most effective substance abuse treatment, based on a combination of per person costs and success in meeting program objectives; (v) how effectiveness could be improved; (vi) an estimate of the cost effectiveness of these programs; and (vii) recommendations on the funding of programs based on these analyses."

Publicly funded substance abuse treatment services in the Commonwealth of Virginia are provided by the following state agencies: the Department Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS); the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ); and the Department of Corrections (DOC). Common goals of these programs include abstinence or reduction in alcohol or other drug usage and reduction in criminal behavior. This annual report provides the information from the three agencies that provide substance abuse treatment services as required in the Code.

DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES

DBHDS provides funding and oversight to 40 community services boards (CSBs) which provide publicly funded substance abuse treatment services to specific jurisdictions. The following information reflects these services.

- Treatment services expenditures totaled $151,662,861 for FY 2009.

- This overall expenditure is an approximate sum of the following expenditure components:

Federal: $41,735,497
State: $47,629,953
Local: $42,053,462
Consumer fees or third party payers (e.g., insurance): $14,130,589
Other: $6,113,360

- A total of 44,670 individuals received substance abuse treatment services supported by this funding.

A variety of actions could be undertaken to improve program effectiveness. Because CSBs are limited in the array of services and capacity, consumers of substance abuse treatment services may not have access to the intensity or duration of care that would be the most clinically appropriate, and may receive less intensive care (and thus, less effective). Evidence-based practices are not always available. Addressing these issues would require significant investments in workforce development of current and future professionals working in publicly-funded substance abuse treatment programs.

DEPARTMENT OF JUVENILE JUSTICE

DJJ institutions provide substance abuse treatment services at five of its six juvenile correctional centers, excluding the Reception and Diagnostic Center (RDC), to residents meeting appropriate criteria. The following information reflects these services.

Community Programs:

Substance Abuse Cost Expenditures: $41,786
Total Division Expenditures: $57,998,594

Juvenile Correctional Programs:

Substance Abuse Services Expenditures: $1,289,695
Total Division Expenditures: $84,894,934

Employment:

In addition to Community and Juvenile Correctional Center expenses for juveniles, the Department of Juvenile Justice expended $9,528 for drug testing employees.

During FY 2009, approximately 79 juveniles participated in substance abuse programs and services within the community (excluding VJCCCA placements). This is a 63% decrease in the number of juveniles served between FY 2008 and FY 2009. That change is due to budget reductions that decreased community substance abuse funding.

Seventy-four percent (567) of offenders admitted to the juvenile correctional centers in FY09 had a mandatory or recommended substance abuse treatment need.

DJJ institutions should continue to implement evidence based programming: Cannabis Youth Treatment (MET/CBT 5 & 7); individualized treatment plans for residents with co-occurring disorders; and RSAT, gender-specific treatment programming for female residents. Re-entry systems/collaboration with community sector/resources/family should be strengthened to ensure smooth transition of residents to the community.

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

The Department of Corrections (DOC) provides a tiered substance abuse services approach to address varying offender treatment needs based on the severity of the problem. DOC is organized into two (2) primary operating divisions: Community Corrections (DCC) and Operations (DO).

DCC encompasses adult probation and parole services, detention and diversion centers. Day reporting programs were eliminated during budget cuts in 2008. As of the end of FY 2008 the total caseload was 61,429.

DCC contracts for many of its treatment services with community service boards (CSBs) and private vendors. Most probation and parole districts (43), detention centers (3) and diversion centers (4) have a memorandum of agreement with their respective CSBs for substance abuse treatment services.

In 1998, the General Assembly passed House Bill 664 and Senate Bill 317 enacting the Drug Offender Screening, Assessment, and Treatment (DSAT) Initiative to reduce substance abuse and criminal behavior among offenders. DSAT attempts to enhance the identification of substance-abusing offenders and their treatment needs and improve the delivery of substance abuse treatment services within the criminal justice system. However, cuts in funding since 2001 have hampered the implementation of DSAT. DOC is re-examining protocols and developing alternative strategies to maximize the use of remaining resources.