On My Ride Home

While I was driving home from Plymouth tonight after teaching my mind kept thinking of all the overdose deaths we have had in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

We are one of fifteen states where the number one cause of accidental death is drug overdose (opiates); number two, car fatalities. In the other thirty-five states the inverse is true.

One of my students tonight asked when I thought addiction counselors would be required to know more in the field of psychology. I told him that is already the case for those of us that are LADC-I's. In addition to our training in addiction, we are also required to have a Masters in a behavioral science (psych).

I heard a few weeks ago that the proposed bills before the state house of representatives and senate are now out of committee that pertain to LADC-I's being granted vendorship. Meaning that discussion can now take place on the house & senate floors.

The information sheet on these identical bills is as follows:

An Act To Improve Access to Alcohol and Other Drug Clinical Services
S473 - Senator Steven Tolman, Senator Kenneth Donnelly, Representative James O'Day
H332 - Representative Martin Walsh, Senator Jack Hart, Representatives James O'Day,
Louis Kafka, Nick Collins, Sean Garballey, Kathi-Anne Reinstein


What These Identical Bills Do:
Both require insurers to reimburse for the services of an Alcohol and Drug Counselor-I. Insurance reimbursement will permit individuals and their families who suffer from, or are affected by alcohol and other drug abuse or addiction, to choose the human services professional most appropriate to treat their substance abuse
Rationale:
In Massachusetts, according to a National Survey of Drug Use Health Survey, Massachusetts ranked 4th highest for adult binge drinking, and 5th highest rate of illicit drug use in the country. An Alcohol and Drug Counselor-I is uniquely qualified to treat individuals and their families with substance use disorder due to the specific education and skill required for alcohol and other drug counseling

Licensure:
Alcohol and Drug Counseling is a licensed behavioral science profession in the state of
Massachusetts. The Department of Public Health is the licensing agency for Alcohol and Drug Counselors.

Education:
A Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor-I
• is required to have a masters degree in his/her discipline, which includes a
practicum and three years full-time, supervised work experience.
• practices according to guidelines set by MA Department of Public Health and according to nationally mandated standards for practice - including examination and certification procedures, code of ethics, and standards of education.
Cost:
* Reimbursement for Alcohol and Drug Counselors is cost-effective:
An Alcohol and Drug Counselor-I can provide clinical services more inexpensive compared to some other licensed professionals currently reimbursed by insurance companies.


Dishearteningly however is the fact that these two bills will more than likely not be decided upon before the end of the spring term and will have to wait until the fall.
How many more overdose deaths need to occur before those of us that are specifically trained in addiction are allowed to enter the arena?

I am not saying that the other disciplines currently involved are not making a difference. What I am saying is that we LADC-I's are not being allowed to participate in this current crisis.

When politics are placed above human life something is terribly wrong.