Panel Seeks Input on Improving State Policies for Addiction Treatment and Prevention

The national Blueprint for the States Policy Panel will convene its first public hearing in Santa Fe, N.M., on Monday, Jan. 30 during the International Conference for the Treatment of Addictive Behavior.

Government-funded programs provide most of the addiction treatment and prevention services in the U.S., and states are in the forefront of efforts to prevent and treat alcohol and drug problems. Who should lead this fight at the state level, how government entities and services can best be structured, and which state criminal-justice policies can serve as models for others are among the issues under consideration by the new Blueprint for the States Policy Panel convened by Join Together.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson will provide the lead testimony at next week's hearing. Also scheduled to testify is Pam Hyde, secretary of the New Mexico Human Services Department, as well as several other distinguished individuals (see attached agenda for list of testifiers).  Testimony gathered at the hearing will inform formulation of the panel's key recommendations, which will be released in June 2006.

The hearing will take place at the El Dorado Hotel in the Anasazi Room from 1:30- 5:45 P.M.

"The work of the policy panel is addressing some of the most critical issues facing state government at a time of many changes in the field of treatment and prevention services," said panelist Sidney Gardner, president of Children and Family Futures, a California-based group that supports state and community organizations serving families affected by substance-use disorders. "We are looking forward to Join Together raising these issues and the panel's findings to higher national visibility.”

The panel is also accepting written testimony, which can be submitted electronically. For a PDF file of guidelines on how to submit testimony, go to http://www.jointogether.org/sa/files/guidelines.pdf

Join Together works to advance effective alcohol and drug policy, prevention and treatment. Major funding for Join Together is provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through the Boston University School of Public Health; see http://www.jointogether.org/about/ for more details.

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The Blueprint for the States Policy Panel is chaired by Michael Dukakis, former governor of Massachusetts. Other panelists include:

• Diana Bontá, vice president of public affairs for Kaiser Permanente's Southern (California) Region
• Barbara Cimaglio, deputy commissioner of the Vermont Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs
• Judge Karen Freeman-Wilson (ret.), CEO of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals and chair of the Governor's Commission for a Drug-Free Indiana
• Sidney L. Gardner, president of Children and Family Futures
• Hon. Pat George, Kansas House Republican legislator
• Patricia Kempthorne, First Lady of Idaho
• Tom McHale, work and family representative for the United Auto Workers-General Motors Commercial Truck Center and board member of Faces and Voices of Recovery
• Katie McQueen, assistant professor at the Baylor College of Medicine and University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston and medical director of the Harris County Hospital District's Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral and Treatment Program
• Paul Roman, distinguished research professor at the University of Georgia and director of the Center for Research on Behavioral Health and Human Services Delivery's Institute for Behavioral Health Research
• Ken Stark, director of the Mental-Health Transformation Project and former director of the Washington Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse

The Road Home: National Behavioral Health Conference on Returning Veterans and Their Families

Date	March 16-18, 2006
Location	Washington Hilton Hotel 1919 Connecticut Avenue, NW Washington, D.C.  20009 Phone: (202) 483-3000 Fax: (202) 232-0438 Website: http://www.washington.hilton.com/
Sponsors	The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Therapeutic Communities of America (TCA)
Participants	Federal, State, and local public and private agencies; primary-care providers; community health and prevention specialists; substance abuse and mental health care providers; educators; advocacy groups; policy makers; consumers; veterans; members of tribal communities; and those interested in issues facing returning veterans and their families.
Conference Purpose	This conference will give Federal, State, and local public and private service providers evidence-based information and approaches that can help veterans and their families build resiliency to prevent and to treat mental health disorders (including PTSD or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders), substance abuse disorders, suicide, and/or co-occurring disorders.
Overview	As the servicemen and servicewomen who have been engaged in combat return home to their families and communities, SAMHSA recognizes the many challenges they may face.  This successful transition will be aided by the collaboration of many partners to identify, prevent, and treat substance use and mental health disorders.
Schedule at a Glance	Wednesday, March 15, 2006 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm     Registration Thursday, March 16, 2006 7:00 am – 8:30 am  Registration and Networking 8:00 am – 5:00 pm  Exhibit Row Open 8:30 am – 9:30 am  General Session (Welcome) 9:30 am – 10:30 am  Plenary Session (Implications) 10:30 am – 10:45 am  Break 10:45 am – 11:30 am  Plenary Session (Epidemiology) 11:30 am – 1:30 pm  Lunch On Your Own 1:30 pm – 1:45 pm  Focus Groups Charge 1:45 pm – 3:15 pm  Focus Group Breakouts 3:15 pm – 3:30 pm  Break 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm  Workshops (up to 12 Concurrent Workshops) Friday, March 17, 2006 8:00 am – 9:00 am  Registration and Networking 8:00 am – 3:30 pm  Exhibit Row Open 9:00 am – 10:00 am  Plenary Sessions A Veteran’s Memoirs Social and Economic Implications 10:00 am – 11:30 am  Plenary Session (Financing the Care Needed) 11:30 am – 1:30 pm  Lunch On Your Own 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm  Workshops (up to 12 Concurrent)  & State Planning Sessions (Focus Group Feedback) 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm  Transition to Plenary Session 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm  Closing Plenary Saturday, March 18, 2006 9:00 am – 11:00 am  Plenary Session (Action Planning for States)      11:00 am – 12:00 pm  Closing Session
Registration	There is no registration fee to attend this meeting; however, you are encouraged to register early, as space is limited!  There are three ways to register: via mail, fax, or the web.  A separate registration form must be submitted for each participant.  CRP, Inc., will send a confirmation letter to all registered participants prior to the conference.  Online website registration will be available beginning January 17, 2006.  Visit http://www.samhsa.gov/ to register online.  Select “Returning Veterans Conference” from the right toolbar and follow directions as prompted.  You can also secure lodging at the Washington Hilton hotel via the conference’s website.  To request mail-in or fax registration and lodging request forms, contact CRP’s Returning Veterans Conference Logistics Coordinator, Andrea Vincent, by phone at (202) 362-0691 or toll-free at 1-866-277-4772, or at avincent@crpcorp.com.  Return completed forms to her at the following fax number or address: Fax:      Attention: Andrea Vincent CRP, Incorporated (202) 362-1675  fax Mail:    Andrea Vincent CRP, Incorporated 4201 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 503 Washington, D.C.  20008 Deadline: Completed registration forms must be received by mail, fax, or online no later than February 8, 2006.  Registrations received after this date will be treated as on-site registrations (not guaranteed; processed on a space-available basis), and late registrants’ names will not be included in meeting materials (e.g., Participant Directory). Cancellations and Substitutions:  Cancellation and substitution notifications must be submitted in writing to CRP’s Andrea Vincent via email or fax (see above) prior to February 8, 2006.  Notifications received after this date will be treated as on-site registrations.
Conference Workshops	Workshops on various topics related to research, best practices and policies, financing strategies, education and awareness, building partnerships, outreach, and advocacy will be offered.
Lodging	Registrants are responsible for making their own lodging arrangements.  A block of rooms has been reserved at the Washington Hilton Hotel at the conference rate of $219/night (single and double) + 14.5% tax (total: $250.76/night).  Reference the “Returning Veterans Conference” when calling to make your reservations or visit the hotel’s website (http://www.washington.hilton.com/), and when prompted use the “RVC” access code.  The deadline for making lodging reservations is February 13, 2006. Registrants are responsible for all expenses related to their hotel stay.  Using a credit card at time of reservation is the preferred method of payment to guarantee your hotel room.
Travel	Registrants are responsible for making their own travel arrangements to and from the conference and for covering any associated costs of attendance.  Area airports include Ronald Reagan–Washington National Airport (closest), Washington Dulles International Airport, and Thurgood Marshall Baltimore–Washington International Airport.  On-site self-pay hotel parking is available for persons who drive their own cars to the conference. If you need assistance with making your travel arrangements, call Omega Travel at 1-800-723-9403.  Again, you will be responsible for all charges associated with your conference attendance.
Exhibitor Row	Visit the exhibits throughout the conference to get the latest information and tools available to assist returning veterans and their families.
For More Information	Please contact Andrea Vincent, CRP, Incorporated’s Returning Veterans Conference Logistics Coordinator, at (202) 362-0691 or toll-free at 1-866-277-4772.