Health Reform Update - 7/27/09

Work on the National Advocacy Campaign continues both around the country and in Washington, DC. As you are probably aware, healthcare reform is one of the big issues on the Hill right now. The Legal Action Center (LAC) and State Association of Addiction Services (SAAS) are working to ensure that any reform in healthcare in this country includes the full range of drug and alcohol addiction prevention, treatment and recovery support for all in need of services.

To strengthen our efforts, LAC and SAAS have joined forces with the other leading national addiction and mental health advocacy organizations to form the Coalition for Whole Health. The Coalition, brought together by Legal Action Center, has:

• Developed detailed recommendations for incorporating the full continuum of mental health and substance use disorder services in national healthcare reform, through wellness promotion and chronic disease prevention, reforming the healthcare delivery system and benefit design, and the delivery of quality care.
• Analyzed bills and developed specific recommendations and amendment language as House and Senate Committees have introduced proposed pieces of legislation.
• Met with key Congressional staff, developed grassroots alerts, and mobilized a successful national call-in day to support addiction and mental health services in national healthcare reform.

The Coalition for Whole Health currently includes more than 40 national organizations. A list of Coalition members and all of the materials we have produced to date can be found on the LAC website.
We are also working to create a national "Key Contact" list that shows us, at-a-glance, who has developed strong relationships with their Congressional delegates. This key contact list will allow us to more effectively and efficiently advocate for our issues by ensuring that we have a direct line to DC decision makers. Take a look at this month's article, "Efforts Continue to Improve LAC/SAAS Key Contact Program," for more detailed information about the Key Contact program and how you can get involved.

We have continued our fundraising efforts and are close to reaching our $100,000 benchmark. "Thank you" to everyone who has agreed to be a part of this very important effort to expand access to prevention, treatment, recovery and research and eliminate discrimination. (To view a complete list of the NAC benchmarks, as well as other important NAC documents, please see the Quick Links section at the top of this email.)

Finally, we are excited to invite you to the Old Tucson Studios Party and Golf Tournament at the annual SAAS/NIATx Summit and Conference in Tucson, Arizona. For more details about these exciting events and to learn how you can get involved, see the article below.

We want to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who is playing such an important role in the NAC, either through contributions to the Campaign or through the work you are doing in your own states to support the effort. We look forward to our continued work with you as we strive to make a difference in the lives of millions of Americans.

Sincerely,
Paul Samuels, Director/President, LAC
Becky Vaughn, Executive Director, SAAS

If you are attending the NIATx Annual Summit/SAAS National Conference in Tucson, Arizona, this month or if you live in the area, CHECK THIS OUT! We have a great week planned, and you are invited!

On Friday, July 31, we are hosting an evening at Old Tucson Studios, the legendary Old West town featured in such classics as 3:10 to Yuma, Gunfight at the OK Corral, Hombre, and The Gambler. Join us for a night of "gunfights", saloon hall musicals, high-flying stunts, and stage shows. Walk the streets where Glenn Ford, Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood, Charlton Heston, and others became stars of Hollywood's Wild West. Tickets for the event are $100, and include dinner and entertainment for the night. Part of the proceeds from each ticket will go to the National Advocacy Campaign.

In addition, take advantage of Starr Pass Tucson Golf Club's, 27-hole Arnold Palmer Signature Golf Facility and participate in our conference tournament. Play a round of golf anytime from Wednesday, July 29- Friday, July 31 and submit your scorecard to be eligible for some fun prizes. Tournament registration is a minimum $40 donation, after which you are eligible for a special discount on your green fees. Click here for a tour of the amazing golf course!

For more information, or to register for either event, contact Becky Vaughn at 202-546-4600 or bvaughn@saasnet.org.

As part of our National Advocacy Campaign, LAC and SAAS continue efforts to strengthen our Congressional Key Contact Program. This program provides us with the capacity to mobilize community leaders across the country who have influence with specific members of Congress. We also hope to build a network of contacts willing to develop a close enough connection to a member of Congress that they can get through to them directly when necessary. We know that there are significant opportunities in Washington to affect legislation and policy. By developing a stronger voice with members of Congress, we can make significant progress on the critical issues important to our field and the clients we serve.

We are very pleased with the response from SAAS members so far. A number of members have submitted their name and contact information for key Congressional leaders like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Our thanks to those SAAS members who have responded, particularly California, Florida, Illinois, and Missouri.

A number of other SAAS members are currently surveying their members to identify other Congressional key contacts but we still have a long way to go. Our ultimate goal is to have key contacts for every member of Congress. LAC consultant John Daigle has contacted many of the state associations so far and will continue his efforts to communicate directly with everyone. SAAS members that have not done so already, we are asking that you please survey your members for their connections to Congressional delegates. For those interested in taking part, we need the following information:

• Name, email address and phone number,
• The name of the member of Congress they are willing to serve as a key contact for, and
• A brief description of the strength of their relationship with that member of Congress.

For more information, please contact John Daigle at 850 383 8142 or jgdaigle@earthlink.net.

We are excited to unveil the new logo design for the National Advocacy Campaign. Designed by graphic artist Marsha Landis from Kansas State University, the logo captures the national collaboration that is the cornerstone of the Campaign.

We will use this logo on all future correspondance related to the Campaign. If you need a copy of this logo for your own Campaign promotion material please contact Angela Halvorson at angela@tlps.com.

These advocacy efforts are just the beginning. As a friend of the substance use disorder field and as someone who believes in the power of advocacy and the reality of recovery, we know that you will find the National Advocacy Campaign for Smarter and More Effective Drug and Alcohol Policies as exciting as we do. In order to make the work of the campaign possible, please consider joining the effort to change alcohol and drug policies. Become a member by making a contribution. To join the campaign, click here. Thank you for your support!