II. Healing America's Drug Users
Despite our best prevention efforts, some people will choose to begin using drugs, and many of them will become addicted. To address this, the Administration has made intervention and treatment a priority. As many as 19.1 million Americans have used at least one illicit substance in the past month and 7.3 million are abusive of, or dependent upon, illegal drugs. Intervention and treatment are therefore key components to the President's drug control strategy to reach these populations. Both aim to accomplish two important goals: stem the use of illicit drugs and provide help to those whose use has become problematic.
Access to Recovery
Empowering individuals by allowing them to choose among various drug treatment programs is a goal of President Bush's Access to Recovery (ATR) initiative. This initiative recognizes that everyone's path to recovery is unique and enables drug dependent individuals to tailor their treatment program by offering them treatment vouchers which can be exchanged for services at a variety of providers. Access to Recovery expands the choices to include faith-based providers, because a person's faith can play an important role in the healing process. The President's program is now in 14 states and one tribal organization. To continue this vital program in 2007, the President's Budget requests $98.2 million; including $70.5 million for a voucher incentive program and $24.8 million for a new ATR-methamphetamine initiative.
Expanding Choice through the Substance Abuse Block Grant
For those who have become drug abusive or dependent, the Administration is working to expand treatment options across the country. As part of the President's efforts to expand choice in Federal assistance programs, the Administration will offer incentives, through the Access to Recovery program, to encourage states to provide a wider array of innovative treatment options by voluntarily using a portion of their Substance Abuse Block Grant funds for drug-treatment and recovery support service vouchers. Building on the successful model of the President's Access to Recovery program, distribution of block grant funds through a voucher system will promote innovative drug and alcohol treatment and recovery programs, provide a wider array of treatment and recovery provider options, and introduce greater accountability and flexibility into the system.
Drug Courts
An important program to help drug users who have been involved in crime is the use of drug courts. Drug courts are an innovative approach to helping drug offenders achieve a drug and crime free life. Drug courts use the power of the courts and the support of family, friends, and counselors to bring people to the path of recovery and to help them achieve drug free lives. This mix of incentives and sanctions has been found to be effective at reducing drug use and recidivism, and is a remarkable example of a public health approach linked to a public safety strategy. The benefits for those who are arrested on drug charges and referred to a drug court is the possibility of avoiding prison entirely, and possibly having his or her arrest record expunged after successful completion of the drug court program. While some drug court programs divert offenders away from the criminal justice system and into treatment, drug courts in no way release offenders from being accountable. The best drug courts will demand the type of rigorous personal accountability from drug abusers that may not be available in a prison environment, by, for instance, requiring frequent treatment sessions, regular public hearings, and, of course, frequent mandatory drug testing. Data shows that within the first year of release, 43.5 percent of drug offenders are rearrested, whereas only 16.4 percent of drug court graduates are rearrested. To support and broaden this initiative, the Administration recommends a funding level of $69.2 million for the drug court program in 2007. This represents an increase of $59.3 million over the 2006 enacted level. This enhancement will increase the scope and quality of drug court services with the goal of improving retention in, and successful completion of, drug court programs.
Screening and Intervening
The Administration is committed to expanding intervention programs and increasing the options for treatment. Intervention programs focus on users who are on the verge of developing serious problems. This emphasis is cost effective and limits the spread of drug use by individuals who are in the early stages of use before the negative effects of continued use and addiction develop.
A key priority of this Administration has been to make drug screening and intervention programs part of the Nation's existing network of health, education, law enforcement, and counseling providers. This requires training professionals to screen for drug use, identify users, and refer the users for treatment. The Department of Health and Human Services offers grants through the Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral and Treatment (SBIRT) program to states, territories, and tribal organizations to provide effective early identification and interventions in general medical settings (e.g., community health centers, emergency departments, trauma centers) for person whoa re non-dependent substance users. As part of the 2007 Budget, $31.2 million is requested for this important initiative.
SBIRT programs vary widely, and the Administration is evaluating each to identify best practices that can then be replicated. In one program, new students in a local community college must fill out a survey before opening their school email accounts. The interactive survey takes them through a line of questioning that helps them identify potential substance abuse problems. Students who may have a problem are referred to counselors who can do a more thorough in person evaluation. This program is based on a body of research showing that by simply asking questions regarding unhealthy behaviors and conducting brief interventions, patients are more likely to avoid the behavior in the future and seek help if they believe they have a problem.
