SAAS UPDATE - January 23, 2009

Upcoming Meetings
Hill Day, Board meeting and Member meeting: Feb. 17-20, Westin, Washington DC. Click
here to book your hotel. [http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/booking/reservation?id=0812233637%26key=8B1ED]

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Greetings!

I am still recovering from the excitement and frozen toes that were all a part of
Tuesday's Inauguration of President Barack Obama! Standing among the 1.8 million
people gathered on the Mall that day you could feel an unprecedented level of excitement
and energy that we have not felt for a political candidate in maybe decades. It
was truly contagious and inspiring.

While it has been a very busy time for SAAS leading up to this monumental moment,
the work continues at a dizzying pace. Recently, SAAS was honored to meet with members
of the Presidential Transition team. This meeting included many of our advocacy
partners: CADCA, NASADAD, NCOA, PDFA, NAADAC, AATOD, ASAM, FAVOR, NADCP. We began
the discussion talking about prevention including: program and funding priorities
and issues as well as prevention's overall importance and relevance to health care
reform. We then discussed the many key issues facing the treatment system. We covered
financing issues including the SAPT Block Grant, Medicaid, and Parity implementation.
We talked about the increasingly critical workforce shortage, SBIRT, and education
needs. We wrapped up the hour-long discussion with Recovery Community issues specifically
focusing on how recovery fits into the healthcare paradigm, CSAT's movement toward
recovery models, and finally discrimination and stigma concerns. We submitted our
Policy Recommendations Memo [http://www.saasnet.org/drupal-6.6/?q=node/43]
in addition to our position paper on Underage Drinking [http://www.saasnet.org/drupal-6.6/?q=node/30] and
the Roadmap developed for the National Advocacy Campaign [http://www.saasnet.org/drupal-6.6/?q=node/23].
President Obama has included substance abuse treatment as part of his Civil Rights
agenda [http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/civil_rights/],
and it is also mentioned in his Poverty agenda [http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/poverty/].

I am particularly excited to be part of a small group convened by CSAT to begin
the enormous task of determining how to implement the recently passed parity legislation
as well as regulations governing the effort. SAAS was chosen to represent the interests
of the provider community. I look forward to discussing these important efforts
with the SAAS membership during our meeting in Washington, February 17-20.

Check this news update regularly for progress reports on this this important work.
Thanks for all you do to support the field and the people you serve.

Becky Vaughn
Executive Director
State Associations of Addiction Services

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Benchmarking For Organizational Excellence In Substance Abuse Treatment

SAAS is on the verge of launching a national benchmarking initiative in partnership
with Behavioral Pathway Systems (BPS) and NIATx. The initiative will be known as
"Benchmarking Organizational Excellence in Substance Abuse Treatment". This ground-breaking
endeavor will make comprehensive benchmarking data affordable and readily available
to community-based substance abuse providers throughout the United States. The resultant
benchmarking data will also galvanize advocacy efforts conducted by SAAS and state
associations.

SAAS, BPS, and NIATx bring unique perspectives and competencies to this project.
SAAS actively represents over 1,000 providers of substance abuse services throughout
the United States. Behavioral Pathway Systems is the industry leader in the provision
of behavioral health benchmarking. NIATx brings its distinguished competencies in
the realm of performance improvement. Together, they possess the capacity to help
establish benchmarking as a vital management tool in community-based substance abuse
care.

Benchmarking is a powerful management tool that brings clearer meaning to your measured
outcomes. In the current national economic crisis, the fittest providers will be
in the best position to survive and even thrive. Benchmarking can enable organizations
to enhance their strengths and address opportunities for improvement.

The Benchmarking Initiative will encompass key performance metrics targeted to substance
abuse providers in the clinical, operational, and financial realms of performance.
A Steering Committee will select the Benchmarks based on their importance and availability.
Special attention will be paid to minimizing the potential for organizational burden.
Subscription materials will soon be made available. If you are interested in serving
on the Steering Committee, please contacting Becky Vaughn at bvaughn@saasnet.org
[mailto:bvaughn@saasnet.org].
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SAAS Partnership Offers Deal on ADAW and MHW Subscriptions

We are pleased to announce that Wiley and Sons will continue to offer our members
discounts on their leading publications, Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Weekly and Mental
Health Weekly. SAAS members can receive either publication for $150 or both for
$275 for 48 issues. This is a 70 percent savings over the regular subscription rate.
For each subscription, SAAS will receive $10.

Each week your subscription will be delivered to your inbox in a PDF format. Stay
on top of the latest information in the field with a weekly subscription to ADAW
or MHW and help SAAS at the same time. If you are not sure if you want to make
this investment right away, you also have the option of a TRIAL membership.

For more information or to subscribe, contact Becky Vaughn at bvaughn@saasnet.org
[mailto:bvaughn@saasnet.org].
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SAAS Member Announcements

The Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association (FADAA) announces their upcoming
Adolescent Conference to be held in Tampa on February 23 & 24. For more information
please visit FADAA [http://adol.fadaa.org/]
or contact Christy Stacey [mailto:cstacey@fadaa.org].
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Women's Leadership Institute Now Accepting Nominations

Nominations for the Women's Addiction Services Leadership Institute (WASLI) are
being accepted now through January 30. WASLI is one of several initiatives supported
by SAMHSA to strengthen our capacity to serve women with substance use disorders.

There is an urgent need to accelerate leadership in women's services to address
current challenges such as a changing and aging workforce, financial shortages,
service improvement goals, and collaborative opportunities. To respond to this need
SAMHSA/CSAT has created the Women's Addiction Services Leadership Institute.WASLI
has roots in the Partners for Recovery-Addiction Technology Transfer Center Leadership
Institute; it has been customized to specifically meet the needs of professionals
working in the women's substance abuse treatment field.

SAAS is working closely with SAMHSA and other partners, including the Addiction
Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Network National Office, the Women's Services
Network of the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors, the
National Council on Community Behavioral Healthcare, NAADAC- The Association for
Addiction Professionals, Advocates for Human Potential, Inc., and the North Highland
Company in this effort.

Click here [http://wali.wufoo.com/forms/womens-addiction-services-leadership-institute/]to
access the online nomination form. If you have any questions or for more information,
please contact Deborah Werner at 818-999-6985 or dwerner@ahpnet.com [mailto:dwerner@ahpnet.com]
in California or Fran Basche, Advocates for Human Potential, WCF Project Coordinator
at 978-261-1438 or fbasche@ahpnet.com [mailto:fbasche@ahpnet.com] in Massachusetts.
We're counting on your nominations to strengthen the Women's Addiction Services
Leadership Institute.
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Member Spotlight

Two of our members have recently gone through some challenges and transitional steps.
In the process two new organizations have emerged with great passion and commitment
to the field both at the state and national level.

We are proud to welcome Addiction Treatment Advocates representing the great providers
in New Jersey. Becky attended and spoke at their first official meeting on Thursday
of this week where by-laws were adopted and officers were elected. SAAS looks
forward to working with new Co-Presidents, Ian Gershman and Ed Diehl.

From Georgia a new association has emerged representing both substance abuse and
mental health community providers. The GA Association of Community Providers has
hired a part time executive Director, established a Board of Directors, and elected
officers. Becky met with their executive committee and pledged SAAS's support as
they recruit new members and grow this new organization. Marjorie Bush, who has
been a part of SAAS since 1992, will continue to represent GA.

We also welcome back Sheila North as the new lead contact for OPERA and the Oregon
providers.
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News From Around the Field

Valuable Continuing Education Opportunity for Certificate Program in Addiction

National surveys indicate the field of addiction has become a distinct career field.
The field of addiction involves many types of practitioners from a wide variety
of health, human service, legal, education, law enforcement, ministerial and allied
fields. The Continuing Education Institute of Illinois has responded to this expanding
need for professional education by putting together a Multi-Disciplinary Certificate
Program in Addiction to provide practitioners with many of the competencies in addiction
prevention, intervention and treatment.

In cooperation with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of
Family Medicine, this professional continuing education certificate program for
a multi-disciplinary audience presents up-to-date information in the ever-evolving
field of addiction in six sessions scheduled in February through May. Recognized
experts in various areas of this field will offer both education and training through
perspectives on the medical, clinical, spiritual and psycho-social aspects of addiction
in an effort to expand participants' knowledge base as well as ability to manage
and counsel individuals suffering from a wide array of addictions. Participants
can earn up to 48 continuing education credit hours.

Space is limited, so early registration is recommended. Complete details on the
Certificate Program and registration can be found on the Continuing Education Institute
[http://www.continuingeducationpartner.com/]
website or or by contacting Cynthia Germain, Executive Director, Continuing Education
Institute of Illinois at (773) 930-3200, or ceiofillinois@comcast.net [mailto:ceiofillinois@comcast.net].
New Resource Available on Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Addiction
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Center
for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) is pleased to announce the availability of
Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Addiction in Opioid Treatment Programs
Inservice Training, a new training manual based on Treatment Improvement Protocol
(TIP) 43. This new manual provides detailed training information aimed at introducing
substance abuse treatment professionals to medication-assisted treatment for opioid
addiction in opioid treatment programs. The manual describes opioid use disorders;
provides assessment, treatment planning, pharmacology, and dosing information; and
presents evidence-based best practices for treatment. Get your free copy today by
clicking here [http://ncadistore.samhsa.gov/catalog/productDetails.aspx?ProductID=17932].
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About SAAS

The State Associations of Addiction Services (SAAS) is the leading national organization
advocating on behalf of state associations of prevention, treatment, and recovery
providers and the individuals and families they serve. For more information about
SAAS programs and initiatives contact bvaughn@saasnet.org [mailto:bvaughn@saasnet.org].