Invest in Our Youth
Pennsylvania House Human Services Committee: Public Hearing on Adolescent Substance Use Care in Pennsylvania Challenges and Opportunities – Read the full Report here.
On March 26, 2018, our hard work on the need to address our Adolescent Substance Use Care in Pennsylvania came to fruition with a Pennsylvania House Human Services Committee Public Hearing on Adolescent Substance Use Care in Pennsylvania. We were granted an opportunity to assemble a panel of leaders in theis matter, present a full testimony and to provide a set of asks. As well, we were invited to craft a legislative agenda to further address this matter. We look forward to, and appreciate the opportunity to work on this agenda, and have provided our current asks, as presented at this public hearing, below. You may also access a one-page, print-friendly version of our asks at Adol-Hearing-Invest-in-our-youth-one-pager-final.pdf.We think that there needs to be a focus moving forward in order to:
1. Ensure substance use assessment and referral services are being properly funded and utilized regionally in our schools and pediatric medical practices.
2. Ensure that all funders:
a. Publish plain language information sheets mailed to all members annually on substance use services provided in member plans. These sheets are to:
i. Specify services including intervention, family counseling, treatment, recovery support services.
ii. Delineate all applicable federal / state laws governing care, how they are enforced and oversight bodies in the event of a problem accessing care.
iii. Provide information for families seeking help with a substance use condition, including intervention, treatment and recovery support services available.
b. Provide the full continuum of adolescent treatment and recovery support services regionally in every area of the state on a cost reimbursed basis.
c. Require a minimum one-year care continuum for covered lives under the age of 20 who meet the criteria of substance use dependency at the proper intensity and structure identified by clinical need and include recovery support services. This will provide the best opportunity to develop stable recovery for our young people.
3. Consider establishing dedicated funding for recovery high schools, alternative peer groups and collegiate recovery programs to extend recovery opportunities to provide long term recovery strategies for our most valuable asset, our young people.