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| eNewsletter: March 10, 2009 | |||||||||
TAKE ACTION NOW TO SUPPORT FAMILY BASED SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENTIn February, Congress began working on the appropriation bills for fiscal year 2010, which begins on October 1, 2009. NOW IS THE TIME TO CONTACT MEMBERS OF THE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE ON LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, EDUCATION AND RELATED AGENCIES TO ENSURE FUNDS ARE ALLOCATED TO PREGNANT AND PARENTING WOMEN PROGRAMS (PPW / FAMILY BASED TREATMENT). Below is a list of subcommittee members and two sample letters, one to be used by our allies and the other by our parent-advocates (Please note that some comments by email are limited to 10,000 characters). To send an email to members of the subcommittee, click on their names below. Note: some committee members will only accept email from their constituents, so you will have to enter a ZIP code in their district in order to use their webform to contact them. If you are unable to use their webform, please submit your letter by mail or fax.› Read Allies sample letter › Download Allies sample letter (MicrosoftWord) › Read Parent-Advocates Sample letter › Download Parent-Advocates Sample letter (MicrosoftWord) United States Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies United States House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
ALLIES SAMPLE LETTERThe Honorable Daniel InouyeUnited States Senate Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Thad Cochran United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 February 26, 2009 Dear Chairman Inouye and Ranking Member Cochran, We, the undersigned, respectfully request that you support the appropriation of $20 million to the Pregnant and Parenting Women (PPW) program under SAMHSA for FY '10. Substance abuse is having a devastating effect on families and children in the United States. Family based substance abuse treatment, funded by PPW, is a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to effectively treat mothers and their children, and ending the generational cycle of addiction, crime, violence and poverty among our most vulnerable families. Parental addictionÑto crack cocaine, alcohol, and now methamphetamineÑcontinues to ravage communities and families, and it has taken a profound toll on the lives of our mothers and children. Upwards to 80% of families who come to the attention of child welfare are suffering with a drug addiction. Drug-related cases are more likely to result in foster care than other child welfare cases. The emergence of the meth epidemic now poses more challenges to child welfare agencies across the country. On a state by state basis, there is a rising pattern of meth addiction and increased child welfare caseloads. In Montana, counties report at least 50% of the child abuse and neglect investigations conducted in 2006 involve methamphetamine-impacted families. Oregon state officials recently reported that child-neglect cases have risen 125% in the past decade, with methamphetamine use a significant part of the trend. Most mothers who are addicted to meth and other drugs were first victims of domestic or sexual violence. Unfortunately, the demand for family-based treatment far exceeds existing capacity. While two-thirds of mothers in the child welfare system require substance abuse treatment, only ten percent of welfare agencies report that they can find substance abuse programs for mothers and children in a timely manner. Most treatment available to substance abusing parents is single-adult focused, prohibiting the inclusion of children in the treatment process. Less than 5% of the treatment available is family-focused, where a parent and her children receive therapeutic services together. Families who are fortunate enough to enter into family treatment programs achieve success. SAMHSA's evaluation of family treatment programs funded under the PPW demonstrates significantly reduced rates of parental alcohol and drug use. Parental sobriety averaged at 60%, at discharge and 6 months post-discharge from treatment. Rates of premature delivery, low birth weight, and infant mortality were decreased for participating women. Treatment costs were offset three to four times by savings from reduced costs of crime, foster care, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families [TANF], and adverse birth outcomes. Comparatively, incarcerating a substance abusing mother costs an average of $30,000 per year, while the cost of placing her children in foster-care estimates at $47, 608 per child per year. Family treatment averages between $14,000 to $25,000 per family per treatment episodeÑwith better outcomes than families achieve in either the criminal justice or child welfare systems. We therefore urge support for the appropriation of $20 million to the PPW program under SAMHSA for FY Ô10 to allow families access to comprehensive family treatment. This will allow more families to achieve the cost-effective and lasting outcomes of parental sobriety, family stability, and child safety. We look forward to working with you to continue to help our most vulnerable children. Respectfully Submitted, cc: Members of the Senate Committee on Appropriations
PARENT ADVOCATES SAMPLE LETTERThe Honorable [insert name]The Honorable [insert name] United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 or US House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 February 17, 2009 Dear Senator or Representative [insert name], My name is ______and I am the mother of _[insert number]_children. I respectfully ask that you support the Pregnant and Parenting Women (PPW) program under SAMHSA for FY '10. I am a mother in recovery from substance abuse. I began self-medicating with marijuana and alcohol at the age of fourteen; it was the only way I knew how to cope with being physically and sexually abused. When marijuana and alcohol no longer helped, I found relief with crack cocaine. With crack cocaine my addiction spiraled down immediately, The once clean police record I had became stained with drug related crimes I committed to support my habit. I began revolving in and out of the criminal justice doors. My children were definitely affected; I wasnÕt a mother to them. I tried several single adult treatment programs, but I was just detoxing. I was not getting help for the emotional trauma I kept suppressed by using drugs. There were no services provided for me as a mother. There were no services for my children. There were no opportunities to heal as a family. In December of 2000, I was arrested on a drug related charge and my children were placed with Child Protective Services. While I was incarcerated I didnÕt receive services, as a woman addicted to drugs I needed treatment, there was none, I was surrounded by women just like me, moms with untreated addiction and no hope for change. I was released in the middle of the night with four dollars in my pocket, no referral to a treatment program, no transitional housing program, and no support services and I still did not know where my children were. I went back to doing the only thing I knew which was using drugs. I felt my life sinking back into self-degradation. Months later, by the grace of God, I found someone to listen, a child welfare worker assigned to my case. I disclosed to her that I had been using drugs for 26 years. She told me I would need long term treatment and referred me to an18 month Family Based Treatment Program. The services I received in Family Treatment helped me address the core reasons why I self-medicated to my pain. With the help of my individual therapist I was able to heal from my underlying issues of physical and sexual abuse, and the guilt and shame of being a mother who used drugs. As part of my treatment process, my children and I were reunified and my children received therapeutic services at the family program, so that they too could heal from the pain of my addiction and being separated from me. Today, I am a graduate of the Family Based Treatment Program, and acknowledge eight years in recovery from substance abuse. My children and I have been reunified for seven years, and they are exceeding academically. We are a whole, strong, and stable family who healed with Family Treatment. As my story shows, I was unable to get myself and my family out of the devastating affects of addiction until we achieved safety, health and stability through Comprehensive Family Based Treatment. I therefore urge support for the PPW program under SAMHSA for FY Ô10 to allow families access to comprehensive family treatment. cc: Members of the Senate Committee on Appropriations
Please send copies of your letters to Lorna Hogan at The Rebecca Project for Human Rights (lorna@rebeccaproject.org) so that we can follow up with the members of the subcommittee when we meet with them. Many thanks for your work on behalf of vulnerable families and Family Based Treatment. |
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The Rebecca Project for Human rights is a national legal and policy organization that advocates for public policy reform, justice and dignity for vulnerable families.
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