SB 5417-S - DIGEST

(DIGEST AS ENACTED)

     Revises provisions relating to opiate substitution treatment programs.

     Declares that opiate substitution treatment should only be used for participants who are deemed appropriate to need this level of intervention and should not be the first treatment intervention for all opiate addicts.

     Provides that, when making a decision on an application for certification of a program, the department shall:  (1) Consult with the county legislative authorities in the area in which an applicant proposes to locate a program and the city legislative authority in any city in which an applicant proposes to locate a program;

     (2) Certify only programs that will be sited in accordance with the appropriate county or city land use ordinances.

     (3) Not discriminate in its certification decision on the basis of the corporate structure of the applicant;

     (4) Consider the size of the population in need of treatment in the area in which the program would be located and certify only applicants whose programs meet the necessary treatment needs of that population;

     (5) Demonstrate a need in the community for opiate substitution treatment and not certify more program slots than justified by the need in that community.  No program shall exceed three hundred fifty participants unless specifically authorized by the county in which the program is certified;

     (6) Consider whether the applicant has, or has demonstrated in the past, the capability to provide the appropriate services to assist the persons who utilize the program in meeting goals established by the legislature, including abstinence from opiates and opiate substitutes, obtaining mental health treatment, improving economic independence, and reducing adverse consequences associated with illegal use of controlled substances.  The department shall prioritize certification to applicants who have demonstrated such capability;

     (7) Hold at least one public hearing in the county in which the facility is proposed to be located and one hearing in the area in which the facility is proposed to be located.

     Requires that, before January 1st of each year, the secretary shall submit a report to the legislature and governor.  The report shall include the number of persons enrolled in each treatment program during the period covered by the report, the number of persons who leave each treatment program voluntarily and involuntarily, and an outcome analysis of each treatment program.