All posts in category Women & Susbstance Abuse Treatment

Lawmakers, People in Drug, Alcohol Treatment Protest Governor Pat Quinn’s Budget Cuts to Eliminate 2,500 from Treatment

Sara Howe

(Chicago, IL) — Since 1995, the number of Illinois women in drug, alcohol treatment has surged 41%, but Governor Pat Quinn this year is still cutting treatment services by 8%, which will toss more than 2,500 out of treatment, of whom nearly 1,000 are women.

Quinn’s cuts comes on the heals of a 22% budget cuts that the Governor imposed on substance abuse prevention and treatment services last year, according to Sara Howe, CEO of the Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association.

Additionally, in 2009, a resurgent heroin crisis killed more than 100 people in Northern Illinois alone, a crisis that is zeroing in on local teens. Meanwhile, Quinn’s proposed budget will eliminate drug prevention for more than 1,000 youth.

Faced with the surging need for treatment and dwindling state money, public officials and private citizens yesterday rallied

State Sentor Mattie Hunter and Theodora Binion Taylor

at a community forum to discuss the cost and impact of untreated addiction and to protest Quinn’s budget cuts to prevention and treatment services.

Sponsored by the Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association; Haymarket Center, Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities (TASC, Inc.) and Healthcare Alternative Systems, Inc., the packed auditorium at Haymarket heard from multiple speakers:

  • John Roberts, Father who lost 19 year-old to heroin overdose, Chicago Police Captain (retired), Program Chair of Criminal/Social Justice at Lewis University (retired)
  • Mattie Hunter, State Senator (Chicago-3)
  • Earlean Collins, Cook County Commissioner
  • Paul Biebel, Presiding Judge, Criminal Division, Cook County Circuit Court
  • Anthony Cole, Vice President, Haymarket Center;  Board Chairman, Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association (IADDA)
  • Sara Howe, CEO, IADDA
  • Roger Romanelli – CEO, Randolph/Fulton Market Association
  • Theodora Binion Taylor, Director of the Division of. Alcoholism and Substance
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by Jud DeLoss on April 27, 2010  •  Permalink
Posted in Governor Pat Quinn, Heroin & Illinois Teens, Illinois Budget, Substance Abuse Treatment, Women & Susbstance Abuse Treatment
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Posted by Jud DeLoss on April 27, 2010

https://ilabh.net/2010/04/27/lawmakers-people-in-drug-alcohol-treatment-protest-governor-pat-quinns-budget-cuts-to-eliminate-2500-from-treatment/

Video: Women–The New Face of Substance Abuse in Illinois

Sara Moscato Howe, CEO, IADDA

(Chicago, IL) — February 9, 2010.  According to a new analysis of Illinois government data, the number of women receiving state-supported treatment for drug or alcohol addiction between 1995-2007 jumped 41%, compared to 21.7% for men.

“The face of addiction is changing across Illinois—and it is increasingly a woman’s face,” said Sara Moscato Howe, CEO of the Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association, who analyzed the historical data published by the Illinois Department of Human Services-Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.

(Listen Here to Podcast: Illinois Women in Drug, Alcohol Treatment Increases 41%)

In the state fiscal year 1995, 30,545 adult Illinois women received drug or alcohol treatment through local community treatment providers financed primarily by state government. In FY 2007, 52,045 received services, a 41% increase.

FY 2007 is the most recent data available.

During the same period, 65,992 adult men received services in FY 1995 and 84,326 in FY 2007, a 21.7% increase.

In FY 1995, adult women comprised 31.6% of the total adult population receiving treatment services. By FY 2007, their share of the treatment population had grown to 38.1%.

Young girls and boys in treatment are surging even more dramatically.
Female youth in treatment increased from 2,392 in FY 1995 to 5,087 in FY 2007—a 52.9% jump. Boys totaled 6,020 in 1995 and 13,188 in 2007, a 54.3% hike.

The growth in substance treatment use far outstrips the general population growth in Illinois. In 1995, Illinois had an estimated population of 11.8 million and 12.9 million in 2008, a 9.3% increase.

What troubles Moscato Howe even more is that Illinois is failing to meet the overall need for treatment services.

“The state’s own plan says they will serve 15% of the need,” said Moscato Howe, “However, using the most recent Illinois Household Survey Data from 2003, we are currently only serving about 5.25%.”

Moscato Howe noted when this year’s Illinois budget cuts are factored, that number will fall to about 4.09%, much lower than 7-9% served in previous years.

“More and more women and young girls are seeking drug and alcohol treatment and our ability to help them is diminishing with each passing year,” Moscato Howe said.

Moscata Howe noted that IADDA will be pushing Governor Pat Quinn and legislative leaders House Speaker Michael Madigan, House Minority Leader Tom Cross, Senate President John Cullerton, and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno to address funding issues this year.

IADDA VIDEO: “The Perfect Storm: Women Needing Treatment Soars, State Funding Plunges”

Shannon Simms, a nurse and mother, illustrates how substance treatment at the Haymarket Center in Chicago saved her life, saved the life of her unborn child, and gave her a second chance to reestablish her career, home and family. Moscato Howe and Anthony Cole, Vice-President at Haymarket Center outline the risks of shrunken state funding for women in treatment as their demand escalates.

Finally, Simms has a warning for lawmakers who allow money for drug and alcohol treatment to be gutted.

Watch her story and learn about the state of women and substance abuse treatment in Illinois here:

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by Jud DeLoss on February 8, 2010  •  Permalink
Posted in Illinis Substance Abuse Treatment Funding, Women & Susbstance Abuse Treatment
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Posted by Jud DeLoss on February 8, 2010

https://ilabh.net/2010/02/08/video-women-the-new-face-of-substance-abuse-in-illinois/

Failure of State to Pay Illinois Substance Abuse Treatment Providers Pushes Agencies to Financial Edge; Quinn, Giannnoulias, Hynes Urged to Back Short-Term Loan

Sara Moscato Howe, CEO, IADDA

(Chicago, IL) – January 11, 2010. The State of Illinois’s inability to pay its $5.1 billion backlog of bills is threatening the ability of Illinois substance abuse providers to treat the estimated 98,000 individuals annually enrolled and provide care to the children of women in treatment.

The state owes prevention and treatment providers an estimated $43 million in unpaid bills, much of that amount stretching back six months.

“Though some payments are trickling in, the state has, essentially, stopped paying treatment providers for their work,” said Sara Moscato Howe, CEO at the Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association.

For example, the state owes Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI) approximately $1.2 million for this fiscal year, in addition to nearly $300,000 for the previous fiscal year.

LSSI, which provides substance abuse treatment to nearly 5,000 people annually, is facing grave decisions regarding the treatment and other services it can provide if the agency continues to go unpaid.

Rev. Dr. Denver Bitner, LSSI president/CEO

“We have almost exhausted our savings and lines of credits to keep paying our employees so that our agency can continue to operate,” said the Rev. Dr. Denver Bitner, LSSI president/CEO.

In addition to its substance abuse treatment services, the major human services provider serves more than 72,000 people annually through a wide variety of services for children, families and adults of all ages, including seniors.

“The State’s failure to pay us for services we’ve already provided — some going back to last fiscal year — jeopardizes our ability to continue to provide the care and treatment that men, women and their children need,” said Bitner.

“How long could you keep your house if you boss failed to pay you for six months?”

According to Bitner, LSSI employs 163 people in its substance abuse treatment programs. Of its nearly 5,000 clients, many are women with children.

“When women come for help, they don’t come alone—they come with children,” said Bitner. “The women will lose their treatment and this will directly affect the well-being of their children

Illinois currently has a backlog of $5.1 billion in unpaid bills, and the payment cycle is, in some cases, six-months from the time a bill is submitted to the state until payment is received by a vendor.

“Program closures, client service cuts, and staff lay-offs are not empty warnings if the state continues to not pay its bills to us,” said

Diana Martinez, 32 years old; single mother with 3 children, LSSI client

Bitner. “We have taken loans to pay the state’s bills—the state should also take the loans necessary to pay its own bills.”

“Across the state, agencies like Lutheran Social Services of Illinois are taking loans to pay their bills because the state is failing to do so,” said Howe. “Governor Pat Quinn, Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and Comptroller Dan Hynes need to reach immediate agreement on a short term-loan to help pay the state’s bills.”

“We have reduced our costs as much as possible. In fact, last year, we reduced our cost of providing treatment services by approximately 15 percent.

“Any further cuts will severely affect our ability to serve people and add to the state’s unemployment rolls,” added Bitner.”

1 Comment
by Jud DeLoss on January 11, 2010  •  Permalink
Posted in Governor Pat Quinn, Illinis Substance Abuse Treatment Funding, Illinois Budget, Substance Abuse Treatment, Women & Susbstance Abuse Treatment
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Posted by Jud DeLoss on January 11, 2010

https://ilabh.net/2010/01/11/failure-of-state-to-pay-illinois-substance-abuse-treatment-providers-pushes-agencies-to-financial-edge-quinn-giannnoulias-hynes-urged-to-back-short-term-loan/

Between 1995–2007, Illinois Women in State-Supported Drug, Alcohol Treatment Spike 41%

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Sara Moscato Howe, CEO, IADDA

(Chicago, IL) – November 12, 2009. According to a new analysis of Illinois government data, the number of women receiving state-supported treatment for drug or alcohol addiction between 1995-2007 jumped 41%, compared to 21.7% for men.

“The face of addiction is changing across Illinois—and it is increasingly a woman’s face,” said Sara Moscato Howe, CEO of the Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association, who analyzed the historical data published by the Illinois Department of Human Services-Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.

(Listen Here to Podcast: Illinois Women in Drug, Alcohol Treatment Increases 41%)

In the state fiscal year 1995, 30,545 adult Illinois women received drug or alcohol treatment through local community treatment providers financed primarily by state government. In FY 2007, 52,045 received services, a 41% increase.

FY 2007 is the most recent data available.

During the same period, 65,992 adult men received services in FY 1995 and 84,326 in FY 2007, a 21.7% increase.

In FY 1995, adult women comprised 31.6% of the total adult population receiving treatment services. By FY 2007, their share of the treatment population had grown to 38.1%.

Young girls and boys in treatment are surging even more dramatically.
Female youth in treatment increased from 2,392 in FY 1995 to 5,087 in FY 2007—a 52.9% jump. Boys totaled 6,020 in 1995 and 13,188 in 2007, a 54.3% hike.

The growth in substance treatment use far outstrips the general population growth in Illinois. In 1995, Illinois had an estimated population of 11.8 million and 12.9 million in 2008, a 9.3% increase.

What troubles Moscato Howe even more is that Illinois is failing to meet the overall need for treatment services.

“The state’s own plan says they will serve 15% of the need,” said Moscato Howe, “However, using the most recent Illinois Household Survey Data from 2003, we are currently only serving about 5.25%.”

Moscato Howe noted when this year’s Illinois budget cuts are factored, that number will fall to about 4.09%, much lower than 7-9% served in previous years.

“More and more women and young girls are seeking drug and alcohol treatment and our ability to help them is diminishing with each passing year,” Moscato Howe said.

Moscata Howe noted that IADDA will be pushing Governor Pat Quinn and legislative leaders House Speaker Michael Madigan, House Minority Leader Tom Cross, Senate President John Cullerton, and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno to address funding issues next year.

1 Comment
by Jud DeLoss on November 12, 2009  •  Permalink
Posted in Illinis Substance Abuse Treatment Funding, Illinois Budget, Women & Susbstance Abuse Treatment
Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Jud DeLoss on November 12, 2009

https://ilabh.net/2009/11/12/illinois-women-in-state-supported-drug-alcohol-treatment-spike-41/