Senate and House Measures Introduced to Create Programs to Support Children Affected by Substance Use Disorders
Last week, Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Representative Chris Pappas (D-NH-01) introduced both Senate and House versions of the National ACERT Grant Program Authorization Act. The legislation would provide federal resources to help communities address chronic stressful or traumatic events, known as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), that children who grow up with family members who have substance use disorders may experience. The legislation would authorize $10 million a year for four years to the Department of Justice (DOJ) & Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to create ACE Response Teams (ACERTs) that would provide early intervention services to children who have experienced trauma. In a press release, Senator Shaheen said, “study after study has shown that repeated exposure to traumatic experiences can have devastating, long-term consequences on children’s physical, mental and emotional development, posing serious threats to their future success and wellbeing. With many Granite State families grappling with crises like the substance use disorder epidemic that often impart trauma on children, it’s essential that our first responders have the resources they need to invest in early intervention and keep our kids safe.”
Articles & Resources
Representative Chris Pappas – Shaheen, Pappas Introduce Legislation to Launch Nationwide Adverse Childhood Experiences Response Team (ACERT) Programs Piloted in New Hampshire
National ACERT Grant Program Authorization Act
June 8 Virtual Event on Preventing SUD Treatment Fraud
On Wednesday, June 8, Arnold Ventures, Boston University School of Public Health, and Faegre Drinker Consulting will host a virtual event on addressing fraud in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment services. In recent years, as more people have struggled with SUD, there has been a corresponding increase in demand for center-based SUD treatment services. Unfortunately, this trend also creates an opportunity for unethical individuals to engage in fraudulent practices and to profit at the expense of patients and health insurers. Representatives from law enforcement, health plans, treatment centers, and advocacy organizations will speak about what is being done to identify and prevent SUD treatment fraud in the U.S. so that people who need these services can rely on their quality.
Articles & Resources
Additional Event Information and Registration Link
What We Read Last Week
Several articles were published last week pertaining to the opioid epidemic, covering a variety of different components of the issue. Links to relevant articles are provided below.
Articles & Resources
American Psychological Association – The impact of COVID-19 on veterans struggling with substance use
BMC Pediatrics – Racial and ethnic disparities in opioid use for adolescents at US emergency departments
Clinical Advisor – AAPA Urges Congress to Pass MAT Act on Buprenorphine
EurekAlert! – Opioid Agonist Therapy reduces mortality risk among people with opioid dependence
Health Affairs – Fentanyl Test Strips Empower People And Save Lives—So Why Aren’t They More Widespread?
JAMA – Concentration of Patient Care Among Buprenorphine-Prescribing Clinicians in the US
JAMA – Coordination Needed to Address Clinician Well-being and the Opioid Epidemic
Kentucky.gov – Attorney General Cameron Sues CVS for Company’s Role in Opioid Epidemic
Law360 – Cherokee Tribe Calls McKinsey ‘Ringleader’ In Opioid Crisis
National Bureau of Economic Research – When Innovation Goes Wrong: Technological Regress and the Opioid
Epidemic
NPR – Sackler Family Empire Poised To Win Immunity From Opioid Lawsuits
Psychology Today – Supporting Addicted Populations Through Advocacy
Scientific American – We’re Overlooking a Major Culprit in the Opioid Crisis
The Commonwealth Fund – “It’s Really, Truly Everywhere”: How the Opioid Crisis Worsened with COVID-19
The Denver Post – Fatal drug overdoses surged 59% in Colorado last year as overall deaths rose during the pandemic
The Incidental Economist – What if there was a way to detect fraud for SUD facilities?
The Regulatory Review – Regulatory Control of Potentially Addictive Drugs
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire – Manchester Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Fentanyl Trafficking
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas – Oncologist Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison in Pill Mill Conspiracy
U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Tennessee – Medical Doctor Sentenced For Drug Trafficking And Health Care Fraud Offenses
This Week’s Calendar
- Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Hearings to examine the nominations of Dawn Myers O’Connell, of the District of Columbia, to be Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, and Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, of Connecticut, to be Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, both of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Tuesday, June 8th; 10:00am; Hearing Notice - House Oversight and Reform
The SACKLER Act and Other Policies to Promote Accountability for the Sackler Family’s Role in the Opioid Epidemic.
Tuesday, June 8th; 12:00pm; Hearing Notice
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