Substance Abuse Legislative Priorities- 2011

Maintain Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Services and Community Mobilization Programs

Substance abuse prevention and treatment services and community mobilization are a vital part of our local community safety net. Prevention and treatment services can help reunite families, help people find work, reduce criminal justice involvement and make our communities safer. Community mobilization organizes communities to respond to emerging issues of violence and substance abuse. The state wisely invested in expanding access to chemical dependency treatment in past years, recognizing that treatment saves the state money in the long term by reducing associated costs in the criminal justice and emergency medical systems. In 2010, however, counties experienced significant reductions in funding for substance abuse and community mobilization programs. The needs are greater than ever. Investing in a continuum of services to address substance abuse and violence is cost effective. Learn more...