Johnstown, PA - Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) Secretary Dr. Latika Davis-Jones joined the Cambria County Drug and Alcohol Program and area leaders in substance use disorder (SUD) services today for a roundtable discussion to hear top issues and concerns surrounding the opioid and overdose crises at the local level as well as spotlight a leading prevention program.
The roundtable discussion was a continuation of ‘Phase 2’ of DDAP’s statewide stakeholder engagement tour. DDAP’s goal is to gather feedback that will help craft the agency’s long-term plan to address the opioid and overdose crises while also gaining stakeholder insight to assist the agency’s work on regulatory reform. In addition, the engagement tour is highlighting the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to having a full spectrum of equitable and accessible SUD prevention, treatment and recovery supports available to all Pennsylvanians.
“There are many moving parts in terms of addressing and preventing substance use disorder. Today was an opportunity to hear and see how programs function across Cambria County,” said Secretary Davis-Jones. “We know that prevention really is our first line of defense in ensuring our children grow up to live healthy, productive lives without developing a substance use disorder and in complete freedom from the disease of addiction. This is where it all starts and I’m grateful to see firsthand how the investments we’re making in local prevention programs are paying off.”
The Shapiro Administration is prioritizing expanding access to behavioral health services and supports for school-aged children through state budget investments that include mental health services, which are closely related to SUD prevention supports.
In the 2023-24 budget, Governor Josh Shapiro secured $100 million in available funding for student mental health services and $20 million for county mental health support. The final 2024-25 budget matches those investments and takes a step further by:
· Continuing the availability of $100 million in mental health funding for K-12 schools, building upon one-time federal funds to ensure schools have the continued resources to provide mental health services to students and staff and increasing another $20 million for county mental health.
Prevention Partners
In addition to the roundtable discussion, the Secretary joined Flood City Youth Fitness Academy (FCYFA) students, mentors, academy alumni and staff to spotlight their DDAP-funded prevention programming, which ranges from Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education experiences to physical fitness activities. FCYFA’s mission is to give students recreation, nutrition, education, exercise and a fun, healthy environment to build self-esteem, social interaction skills and a healthy lifestyle to provide them with life-sustaining skills, which is in direct correlation to DDAP’s SUD prevention goals.
SUD-related programs are administered through county drug and alcohol offices called Single County Authorities (SCA), which receive DDAP funding to support access to prevention services, treatment, recovery supports, and other local programs. The Cambria County Drug & Alcohol Program is the SCA administrator of drug and alcohol services in Cambria County.
“With DDAP's funding, we have been able to ensure that treatment is widely available, and that cost is not a barrier,” said Fred Oliveros, Cambria County Drug & Alcohol Program Administrator. “At the same time, we are focused on providing support to our youth on an individual level to prevent them from moving to substance use in the first place. Our efforts are having an impact and we are excited to take Secretary Davis-Jones into our community to celebrate that."
Through a portion of DDAP’s $9.6 million American Rescue Plan funding and other funding, the agency is assisting the SCA in funding mentoring and leadership development at FCYFA during their school year and summer programming which currently serves nearly 250 students. The funding supports 14 part-time tutors and other personnel costs and transportation costs for picking up students after school, bringing them to the academy, and taking them home afterwards. Additional DDAP-administered funds provide food for the academy’s participants.
All students within the afterschool and summer programs are required to receive tutoring and other homework assistance. In comparison to similar programs, FCYFA is unique in that they provide door-to-door transportation for any student from either their home or school to the academy, which has resulted in increased retention within the programs.
“Flood City Youth Fitness Academy is a partner with the city of Johnstown, the state of Pennsylvania, and most importantly, our students and their parents and families,” said Deacon Jeffrey Wilson, FCYFA Program Manager.
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 Phase 2, 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, Franklin, and Fulton 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
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