Public Interest Bulletin
It appears that the Florida Legislature will appoint the members to the Conference Committee sometime this week, and begin to negotiate out the differences between the Senate and House budgets – which are nearly $1 billion apart (Senate - $65.9 Billion, House - $65.1 Billion).
Some items that may be of special concerns to citizens concerned about access to treatment for substance abuse are the following items:
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The House proposal to eliminate all funding for substance abuse treatment for offenders either in prison or on probation. This is bad policy – Department of Corrections own data shows that treatment increases public safety (folks treated break the law less often) and is less expensive than building and operating more prisons (Florida’s prisons are at 98% capacity now, and eliminating treatment would increase that growth rate substantially. Here in Lee County the Salvation Army has over 50 offenders in a residential program funded by this funding source, while SWFAS has another 166 offenders in treatment on an outpatient basis. Without treatment these folks will end up in our local jails while waiting to get into prisons – all the while with the “meter” running costing all Floridian’s more, and not increasing our public safety.
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The House proposal to eliminate all TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) funding for substance abuse treatment – locally this would result in over 80 adults (mostly in the Child Welfare system where substance abuse is the number one variable that contributes to abuse and neglect of children) and their estimated 200 children being placed on wait lists for treatment – greatly increasing the risk of abuse and neglect, and costing us all more money for foster care and other out of home placements when needed. Denying this access to treatment will stress the already stressed child welfare system in Lee County, where too often children are already dieing.
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The Senate proposal to reduce state funding for adult substance abuse treatment by nearly $4 Million. Today adults in need wait for access to Detoxification or Residential Treatment – often they end up in jail, local emergency rooms, and occasionally the areas morgues. Our neighbors with a treatable chronic disease can’t get treatment now, further reducing access to this care will only exacerbate these cost shifts to other systems and the associated tragedies.
What can anyone do, after all it’s a difficult budget year here in Florida, right?
Each member of our delegation and the leadership of the House and Senate needs your input, without it they may make decisions that will cost each of us much more in the long run than the brief cost savings of not funding one of these items. Registered voters can help by e-mailing each one of them, as a registered voter and taxpaying Floridian. Your voice may only be one voice, but with many voices sending similar messages their decisions can be influenced and changed – I hope you can be part of our effort to make a difference. The lives of some of our fellow Floridians may literally hang in the balance, and no one else may be willing to speak on their behalf.
SWFAS’ primary mission is to provide substance abuse prevention and treatment services to those in our community who would most benefit from these services. Often, this includes members of our community who may not receive services elsewhere. In addition, folks who don’t receive services don’t go unserved or unnoticed, they appear in settings such as the local Emergency Rooms, jails, prisons or court systems. Did you know that a significant % of freshmen college students who drop out of college report that their inability to stay in school is due to alcohol or other drug use? Sometimes the consequences are immediate, other consequences of untreated addictions are longer term.
CONTACT OUR LEGISLATORS
Call them, e-mail them, see them when they are in town or while you are in Tallahassee – just do it! It isn’t a matter of being eloquent or persuasive, its letting them know that substance abuse issues are important to you, and that you want them to consider them important too. Someone once said, the squeaky wheel gets the grease – and it’s never more true than during the legislative process. You have a list attached for your ease of use.
SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE/STORIES/CONCERNS
Your voice matters, let them know that you are in favor of a public policy that supports effective and efficient substance abuse services. If you have a story of recovery that you can share, let them know about it. If you want to share your concern about SWFAS turning away people who need help for a treatable disease, and your concern that not treating this disease costs you and me more in the long run – share that too. Be credible and truthful but share your thoughts.
CONSIDER STEPPING OUT
Do you read the Letters to the Editor? So do our elected officials and their staff, so writing a letter to the editor to our local papers can be another effective tool to use. Many times we can share our concerns with others, and ask them to speak up too. If you or I don’t advocate for individuals and families impacted by addictions, who will?
LEE COUNTY LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION
Florida House of Representatives
Representative Gary Aubuchon
3501 Del Prado Boulevard, Suite 305
Cape Coral, FL 33904-7223
Phone: (850) 488-7433
gary.aubuchon@myfloridahouse.gov
Representative Michael J. Grant
County Administration Building
18500 Murdock Circle Port Charlotte,
FL 33948-1068
Phone: (850) 488-0060
michae1.grant@myfloridahouse.gov
Representative Paige Kreegel
410 Taylor Street
Punta Gorda, FL 33950-4832
Phone: (850) 488-9175
paige.kreegel@mvfloridahouse.gov
Representative Nicholas R. "Nick" Thompson
2120 Main Street, Suite 208
Fort Myers, FL 33901-3010
Phone: (850) 488-1541
nick.thompson@myfloridahouse.gov
Representative Trudi K. Williams
12811 Kenwood Lane, Suite 212
Fort Myers, FL 33907-5648
Phone: (850) 488-2047
trudi.williams@myfloridahouse.gov
Florida Senate
Senator Dave Aronberg
2120 Main Street, Suite 206
Fort Myers, FL 33901
Phone: (850) 487-5356
aronberg.daye~web@flsenate.gov
