Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP), Dr. Latika Davis-Jones continued the agency’s statewide stakeholder engagement tour in Philadelphia today to hear key issues and concerns regarding substance use disorder treatment and prevention efforts substances (SUD) in response to the city’s opioid and overdose crises. The goal of the DDAP is to gather feedback that will help shape the agency’s plan for increased community and treatment provider engagement.
“It is essential that we hear directly from those who provide direct services,” said Secretary Davis-Jones. “Prevention is the first line of defense in our efforts to combat these public health crises, and accessible and equitable treatment is the cornerstone to helping Pennsylvanians struggling with SUD – we need to know what works and what doesn’t. does not work in both cases.
Secretary Davis-Jones hosted a roundtable discussion on efforts specifically related to prevention and treatment services used to manage the overdose crisis in Philadelphia. She was joined by Commissioner of the City of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Services (DBHIDS), Dr. Jill Bowen, and staff; Rep. Stephen Kinsey, majority chairman of the House Human Services Committee; Sen. Art Haywood, Democratic chairman of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee; and SUD prevention and treatment providers, including Merakey Germantown, Interim House, Jewish Family and Children’s Services, and Black Women’s Health Alliance.
“As chair of the PA House Human Services Committee, ensuring that we can prevent substance use disorders, but also help treat those who already suffer from them, is one of my top priorities “, Representative Kinsey said. “I want to thank Secretary Davis-Jones for organizing this statewide tour of Northwest Philadelphia. Hearing from people on the front lines of substance use disorder will help him, DDAP and us as legislators more effectively combat this critical issue.
DDAP recently rewarded five organizations serving Philadelphia, approximately $2 million in grants to establish or expand SUD services, community outreach and education to underrepresented communities struggling with the opioid overdose crisis. Funding for these grants comes from opioid settlement funding that was appropriated for DDAP by the General Assembly as part of the 2022-23 state budget.
DDAP also prioritizes obtaining information from stakeholders to assist the agency in its regulatory reform initiative. Specifically, the agency’s goals for the regulatory reform initiative include:
· Organize regulations in a way that makes sense to both providers and service participants who read them,
· Update terminology to use current and consistent terms in simple language while avoiding stigmatizing language, and
· Ensure that regulations are specifically targeted and designed to promote safety, quality of care, and positive outcomes for service participants and to improve the service experience.
Tour stakeholders include people in recovery and those with lived experience, service providers, active service recipients, community leaders, schools, correctional units, and more. The tour will seek to reach communities and voices less frequently heard.
Today’s event marks the ninth stop of DDAP’s statewide stakeholder engagement tour. Throughout the tour, DDAP will seek to engage stakeholders on SUD issues related to:
· regulations and reform efforts
· data requirements and modernization needs
· health equity work and progress
· management of care slots
· improve departmental communication.
Learn more about the Shapiro administration’s efforts to combat the overdose crisis. pa.gov/opioids.
MEDIA CONTACT: Stephanie Dugan – ra-dapressoffice@pa.gov
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