CONGRESSIONAL UPDATE
BILLS CHANGING MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG COUNSELORS (7/3/00)
"The American Community Renewal and New Markets Empowerment Act" (S. 2779) has just been introduced in the Senate. Title IV of the bill, called "Faith Based Substance Abuse Treatment," would make some significant changes in the rights of State and local governments to establish educational standards for professionals who provide drug treatment services. A very similar bill is in the works in the House,
and will be introduced shortly. Insiders note that an agreement has been reached between the President and key Republicans that could facilitate passage of the S. 2779 this session of Congress.
BACKGROUND
Some of the language is very similar to the "American Community Renewal Act" and "Charitable Choice" introduced in previous sessions of Congress . The provision allow religious providers to receive direct federal funds (both directly and through states) and specifies that neither the Federal nor State government can require the religious organization to alter its form of internal governance, nor remove religious art, icons, scripture, or other symbols.
Religious organizations would be subject to the same regulations as any other award recipient of federal financial assistance. However, new language has been added that directs how states may go about establishing educational standards for personnel. The findings of of one section, 585, note that:
- establishing formal educational qualifications for
counselors and other personnel in drug treatment may
undermine the effectiveness of such programs;
- such formal educational requirements for counselors
and other personnel may hinder or prevent the provision
of needed drug treatment services.
The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services would be allowed to waive the application of any educational qualifications imposed by a State or local government under several broad conditions, including that the qualifications have barred such religious organization from becoming a program provider and the state or local
government has failed to demonstrate empirically that the educational qualifications in question are necessary to the successful operation of a drug treatment program.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Write or call your Senator and tell him or her you oppose
S. 2779 because Title IV includes:
- Educational and training requirements for alcoholism
and other drug abuse treatment counselors do not
hinder or undermine the effectiveness of treatment--
they enhance it.
- Educational requirements of treatment personnel must
not be compromised. Trained counselors specialize in
the diagnosis, assessment and treatment of psychoactive
disorders and other substance use, abuse and dependency
problems that cost our country over $160 billion each
year.
- Spirituality is one of four vital components of effective treatment programs for alcoholics and drug addicts. The others are physical/medical, emotional, psychological.
Anyone providing those services must be trained and
prepared to deal with all of them.
Senators who have already agreed to sponsor S. 2779 include:
Hutchinson (R-AR)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Kerry (D-MA)
Abraham (R-MI)
Torricelli (D-NJ)
DeWine (R-OH)
Kohl (D-WI)
You can contact your Senator by calling the Capitol Hill switchboard at 202/224-3121 or writing to:
The Honorable --
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Or contact your Senator via the internet.
Obtain a copy of this bill on the internet from http://thomas.loc.gov.
If you have any questions, please contact the Public Policy Office via e-mail at publicpolicy@ncadd.org.