[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 109 (Tuesday, June 8, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30531-30533]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-14522]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Changing the Conversation--A National Plan To Improve Substance
Abuse Treatment: Call for Public Comment
AGENCY: Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration, DHHS.
[[Page 30532]]
ACTION: Request for public comment on five issues (domains) of concern
to the substance abuse treatment field when assessing substance abuse
treatment.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces that the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse
Treatment (CSAT) is formally inviting public comment on five issues
(domains) that are of concern to the substance abuse treatment field
and require development and exploration. Via several mechanisms,
including public hearings, CSAT intends that findings from the
exploration of individual domains will ultimately be synthesized into a
coherent national strategy to guide substance abuse treatment program
and policy development for the future. Individuals and organizations
are encouraged to comment in one of several ways: (1) in writing, by
submission through the U.S. Mail or courier service; (2) via the
National Treatment Plan web site (http://www.natxplan.org); or (3) in
person at one of the four public hearings scheduled at locations across
the country. The final cutoff date for comments is December 1, 1999.
This notice discusses the public hearings at which interested
individuals/organizations may testify regarding the five substance
abuse treatment domains discussed below.
DATES/LOCATIONS: CSAT plans to conduct four public hearings in 1999--
July in Hartford, Connecticut; September in Chicago, Illinois; October
in Portland, Oregon; and November in Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida. The
first hearing will be held at the Connecticut State Capitol,
Legislative Office Building, 300 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, Connecticut,
06106, on July 8, 1999, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. EDT.
Specific details regarding subsequent hearings will be published in the
Federal Register approximately one month prior to each hearing.
Requests to testify at the Hartford, Connecticut, public hearing
must be submitted to one of the addressees indicated below by July 1,
1999. Seating is limited. In the event that interpretive services for
the hearing-impaired are required, please indicate these special needs
to either of the addressees.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information
regarding the hearing and/or testimonies, as well as requests to
testify must be addressed to:
Peggy Cockrill,
[Tele: (301) 443-7024; e-mail: [email protected]; Fax: (301) 480-
6077]
or
Ann Mahony, [Tele: (301) 443-7924; E-mail: [email protected]; Fax:
(301) 480-6077], c/o TASCON 1803 Research Boulevard, Suite 305,
Rockville, Maryland 20850
Written comments (without a request to personally testify) will
also be accepted by either of the above addressees. Written testimonies
are limited to five (5) typed pages using 1.5 line spacing and 12 point
font.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Building on recent advances and studies, CSAT has initiated plans
to focus on how to apply its extensive knowledge to the practical
objective of improving treatment outcomes. The plans include
synthesizing current knowledge and recommendations about treatment,
service systems, application of best practices, diffusion methods, and
organization and financing of substance abuse treatment services.
Federal Government and outside experts, as well as the interested
public, will explore the current state of the knowledge, resources,
needs, and service and organizational capacity. The objective is the
culling of priorities for action by the government and by others in the
substance abuse treatment field. As noted above, CSAT is inviting the
public to comment on five domains as part of the initial step of the
plan. The domains, as well as some initial questions for exploration,
include:
(1) Closing the Treatment Gap: Where are the gaps? How big are they
for different populations? For different types of settings and
treatment modalities? How big are gaps in other related systems of
care, e.g., welfare, child welfare, housing? What are the policy,
organization, and financing issues that must be addressed in the
private and public systems, including Medicaid and Medicare, to close
the treatment gap?
(2) Reducing Stigma and Changing Attitudes: What are the nature,
causes and consequences of addiction stigma? What can CSAT, the
treatment field, consumers and families do to address stigma related to
addiction, substance abuse treatment and individuals with substance
abuse disorders? How do other stigmas impact/compound the stigma of
addiction?
(3) Improving and Strengthening Treatment Systems: What are the
clinical and organizational challenges facing treatment organizations
in the public and private sectors? What can CSAT, the treatment field,
consumers and families do to improve and strengthen treatment
organizations so that they can adapt to the new imperatives of the
changing treatment system, and to improve the relationship between the
general health care system and the specialty substance abuse treatment
system? What should be done at the State, county and/or local levels to
improve and strengthen substance abuse treatment?
(4) Connecting Services and Research: What are the best methods by
which CSAT, the treatment field, consumers and families can foster and
support evaluation of proven research findings in community-based
settings and identification and adoption of best practices?
(5) Addressing Workforce Issues: What are the issues facing
clinicians treating addictions? What can CSAT, the treatment field,
consumers and families, and professional associations do to foster
training, appropriate credentialing, and licensure in all settings in
which treatment occurs, and to support treatment organizations in
developing appropriate policies for clinical training?
Hearing Format
The hearings will be divided into five segments (i.e., the five
domains described above) of approximately 45-60 minutes each. Each
individual/organization participant will be limited to three (3)
minutes of oral testimony and five (5) pages of typed testimony per
domain. Participants who wish to address more than one domain and find
it impossible to be in attendance during the scheduled time frame for
other domains they also wish to address will, with CSAT staff
concurrence, be allowed to address multiple domains at once. In these
instances, the participant must clearly indicate the domain being
addressed, and again, will be limited to three (3) minutes of oral
testimony and five (5) pages of typed testimony per domain. All oral
testimonies must be accompanied by a written testimony of no more than
five (5) typed pages using 1.5 line spacing and 12 point font. Written
testimonies may either be submitted before the hearing to one of the
addressees listed above or to the registrar at the hearing. As the
hearing schedule allows, unscheduled testimonies will be accommodated.
All testimonies (recorded and written) will become a part of the
public domain.
[[Page 30533]]
Dated: June 3, 1999.
Richard Kopanda,
Executive Officer, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration.
[FR Doc. 99-14522 Filed 6-7-99; 8:45 am]
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