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Authors Posts by Jason Snyder

Jason Snyder

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The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP), along with the Liberty Mid-Atlantic High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, will again hold a virtual Psychostimulant Symposium December 1–2, 2021. The data continue to show a need for this interdisciplinary information sharing. Feedback from last year’s event was overwhelmingly positive, a direct result of the many excellent speakers and presenters.

Dates: December 1–2, 2021

Format: This is proposed as a one and a half-day virtual event featuring plenary and breakout sessions.

Overview: Both public health and public safety professionals require additional training and information to more readily detect these substances and better respond to psychostimulant overdose victims, and treatment professionals require additional tools to effectively treat patients who misuse psychostimulants. Strategies essential for detecting surges in psychostimulant supply and consumption can aid policymakers and agency leaders in directing resources where most needed.

Target Audience: Law enforcement, criminal justice, health care providers, emergency medical services personnel, drug and alcohol prevention and treatment providers, Single County Authorities (SCAs), government officials, public health professionals, harm-reduction organizations and other interested stakeholders.

Registration: Attendance is free, but pre-registration will be required and limited. More information will be forthcoming.

More Information: Please visit our web page for information about our 2019 and 2020 PA Psychostimulant Symposium.

Proposals to present at this year’s event or questions can be submitted by emailing PA Psychostimulant Symposium on or before June 1, 2021. Proposals should include:

  • Proposed topic
  • Relevance of topic
  • Presenter knowledge/credentials
  • Engagement strategies

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Since submitting the final-omitted regulatory package to the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) on March 15, 2021, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) has continued to hear concerns with the regulations for the licensure of recovery houses.

To thoroughly review these concerns with interested parties, DDAP has withdrawn the regulations. They are no longer on the agenda for the IRRC public hearing on April 15, 2021. DDAP plans to resubmit the regulations in the near future.

More information on drug and alcohol recovery house licensing is available on DDAP’s website.

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The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) announced today the availability of $2.7 million in funding for Recovery Community Organizations (RCOs) to expand or enhance recovery support services to individuals in recovery from substance use disorder.

“Community is one of the four dimensions that support and sustain life in recovery,” said DDAP Secretary Jen Smith. “By providing communities with appropriate support services, we can help individuals and their loved ones be better suited for their recovery journey and ultimately live happy, healthy lives.”

The grants are part of $55 million in federal funding awarded to Pennsylvania through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant Program COVID-19 Supplemental Awards. The funding spending plan submitted by DDAP is currently pending approval by SAMHSA. More information will be shared about this funding and supporting projects as it becomes available.

To read about applying for the grants, visit DDAP’s website.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced today that federal funding may now be used to purchase rapid fentanyl test strips (FTS) in an effort to help curb the dramatic spike in drug overdose deaths largely driven by the use of strong synthetic opioids, including illicitly manufactured fentanyl. Unfortunately in Pennsylvania, fentanyl test strips are considered drug paraphernalia and are therefore illegal.

FTS can be used to determine if drugs have been mixed or cut with fentanyl, providing people who use drugs and communities with important information about fentanyl in the illicit drug supply so they can take steps to reduce their risk of overdose.

The entire press release is available on SAMHSA’s website.

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The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) continues to receive comments and questions regarding its Final-Omitted Regulation on Standards for Drug and Alcohol Recovery House Licensure. DDAP’s responses to these concerns are available here for review. These regulations are on the agenda for the Independent Regulatory Review Commission’s (IRRC’s) April 15, 2021 public meeting.

Please note that any comments or questions received by DDAP or IRRC in response to this communication, or in response to the final-omitted regulation, will be forwarded and uploaded to IRRC’s website for consideration by IRRC. Additional information on drug and alcohol recovery house licensing is also available here.

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Image by Dirk Wouters from Pixabay

The Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA is creating a patient journey map on use of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Recognizing that the impact of providers is critical to the individual journey, providers are being asked for their input and perceptions about working with individuals who have considered or used MAT/MOUD.

Surveys can be accessed at the following links.

Please complete the full survey (open-ended questions are optional). Surveys that are incomplete cannot be used. Responses are confidential, and no personally identifiable information is requested. Full terms of the survey can be read here.

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Deadline, as Letters on a Clock

In a meeting on March 18, 2021 the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) met with the behavioral health managed care organizations (MCOs) and HealthChoices primary contractors to discuss its expectations of providers’ initial alignment with DDAP’s mandates that are part of the ASAM transition. The deadline for providers to align their services with ASAM services at each level of care is July 1. In part, the purpose of the meeting was to stress to the MCOs and primary contractors that ASAM alignment is a continuous process, not a date to be met, and alignment is not an all-or-nothing proposition. Rather, DDAP is seeking substantial compliance with the criteria and does not expect payers to be punitive in their audits of providers’ alignment with ASAM.

This document defines “Initial Alignment” at each level of care. Per the document, at Levels 2.5 and 3.7, “DDAP will document initial alignment for licensed facilities.” RCPA sought clarification on this point.

According to DDAP, at those levels of care, during a provider’s first audit after July 1, DDAP will be looking for “substantial” alignment. What constitutes “substantial” alignment, what happens if DDAP determines substantial alignment has not occurred, and how other audits by other regulators and payers will be conducted relative to the determination of “substantial” alignment are still being determined.

In addition, RCPA continues to work with DDAP, the Department of Human Services/Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, MCOs, the legislature, and the governor’s office, among other key stakeholders, to illustrate the challenges this transition is placing on providers, the potential consequences, and workable solutions for providers. RCPA will make an in-depth presentation of its efforts to date and plans going forward at the Tuesday, April 6 Drug and Alcohol Committee meeting.

Please contact Jason Snyder with any questions or concerns.

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