Meadville, PA - Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) Secretary Dr. Latika Davis-Jones continued Phase 2 of the agency’s statewide stakeholder engagement tour this week in Crawford and Lawrence counties, highlighting the Shapiro Administration’s focus on health equity, including prioritizing expanded access to substance use disorder (SUD) services and supports in rural areas of the Commonwealth.
During the two-day stop, Secretary Davis-Jones met with the Crawford County Drug & Alcohol Executive Commission, Inc. (CCDAEC) and Lawrence County Drug & Alcohol Commission, Inc., also known as Single County Authorities (SCAs), that receive DDAP funding to support access to drug and alcohol-related services in their respective counties.
Through roundtable discussions with the SCAs, Secretary Davis-Jones met with more than 50 stakeholders in the drug and alcohol field, including treatment providers, first responders, treatment court judges, county coroner offices, state and local lawmakers, individuals with lived experience, and others, to gain insight into their local successes and challenges. The data collected from these conversations is helping to shape DDAP’s state plan to address the opioid and overdose public health crises, as well as assist with its regulatory reform efforts.
“We know that managing the overdose and opioid crises is not a one-size-fits-all approach,” said Secretary Davis-Jones. “The diverse groups of stakeholders I met with in Crawford and Lawrence counties indicate that we’re all in this together – whether we’re talking about levels of government, the multitude of service providers, law enforcement and the judicial branch, those with lived experience who each have a unique journey, or the various zip codes where people live.”
The Shapiro Administration is prioritizing expanding access to SUD services and supports in rural areas of the Commonwealth. For instance, DDAP recently:
· Licensed the state’s first mobile licensed narcotic treatment program. This mobile initiative will bring evidence-based treatment and services to individuals struggling with SUD and co-occurring conditions to help save lives in rural central and northern regions of the Commonwealth.
· Announced the availability of $18 million in funding through the agency’s student loan repayment program to assist practitioners within the SUD treatment, prevention, case management and recovery support services workforce. The program is prioritizing eligible applicants in rural areas of the Commonwealth that are experiencing SUD workforce shortages.
The Secretary’s stops included touring Stepping Stones, which provides both inpatient and outpatient treatment services in Crawford County and also offers family counseling and education services. She also took part in multiple art-centered recovery wellness activities in both Crawford and Lawrence counties, including a stop at DDAP-licensed recovery house Freedom House. The activities were designed to highlight the importance of accessible recovery supports at the local level to empower sustained recovery from SUD.
Currently, there are nearly 800 DDAP-licensed SUD treatment facilities across the Commonwealth offering inpatient, outpatient and other treatment programs and over 350 licensed recovery houses. Individuals seeking substance use treatment or recovery resources can be connected to local SUD resources by calling the toll-free PA Get Help Now helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or by using Treatment Atlas, a free, online locator tool to help Pennsylvanians confidentially find SUD treatment that meets their needs.
“I am pleased to see that Secretary Davis-Jones continues to follow through on her pledge she made to me during her confirmation process to meet with stakeholders to identify new solutions and fresh ideas from treatment providers to reduce red tape and increase access to care,” Senator Michele Brooks said. “It’s vital that we involve those in the trenches of this ongoing opioid crisis and work together to remove regulatory barriers to treatment that only serve to reduce opportunities for recovery for those locked into battle with the disease of addiction.”
Building off ‘Phase 1’
The Phase 1 findings from DDAP’s Stakeholder Engagement Tour were derived as a direct result of the feedback received during roundtable discussions held in 2023. Throughout Phase 1, DDAP visited 10 Pennsylvania counties including Allegheny, Erie, Centre and Philadelphia and met with more than 220 stakeholders. During Phase 1, DDAP also visited nearly 20 different service providers including inpatient and outpatient treatment facilities, DDAP-licensed recovery houses, and wellness centers.
Throughout the remainder of the tour, DDAP will continue to seek input on the agency’s regulatory reform initiative as well as SUD issues related to:
· Data requirements and modernization needs
· Advancing health equity
· Treatment slot management
· Improving departmental communications.
Future tour stops will include Westmoreland, Cambria, and other counties.
Learn more about the Shapiro Administration’s efforts in combating the overdose crisis at pa.gov/opioids.
MEDIA CONTACT: Stephany Dugan - ra-dapressoffice@pa.gov
# # #