Latest News
Access to American Indian Recovery Program (AAIR) is launched in the Northwest
The Access to American Indian Recovery (AAIR) is a substance abuse treatment and recovery support program funded through a grant by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The grant is administered by the California Rural Indian Health Board, Inc. (CRIHB) and the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB). We work to empower American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) people in California, Oregon, Idaho and Washington to break the cycle of drug and alcohol addiction while achieving long-term recovery.
AAIR is part of a national Access to Recovery (ATR) program initiated to create options that allow people to independently select from a statewide network of native and non-native providers. AAIR believes that the Northwest AI/AN communities have the knowledge and capability to identify their own needs and solutions for substance abuse problems within their own communities. In supporting this idea, AAIR will coordinate a network of community-based providers to help individuals and families access high quality treatment and recovery support services. In addition, AAIR has committed over $14 million dollars to be distributed between California, Oregon, Idaho and Washington to receive treatment over a three year period. These monies will help pay for substance abuse treatment and recovery support services when there are no other means of funding available.
Applying to be a provider:
If your health center wishes to provide services to AI/AN people in Oregon, Washington or Idaho, you are welcome to apply over website. All new applicants are required to complete and submit a Provider Enrollment Application to apply for enrollment in AAIR. Once you submit the application and the required supporting documents, it will be reviewed by AAIR and you will be notified of the decision within a few weeks.
AAIR providers are among the most dedicated and experienced providers in the Northwest and each must meet these provider qualification standards before being enrolled in our program:
Clinical provider qualification standards
Traditional healer/spiritual advisor qualification standards
To obtain a provider application a provider can go online and submit at: http://www.crihb.org/aair under “provider enrollment application”
Training:
The first Northwest training will be in the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Wellness Center on April 2, 2008
Accessing services:
Here are a few of the websites/numbers if you have additional questions:
For Substance Abuse Mental Health Service Administration: http://www.atr.samhsa.gov
For Access to American Indian Recovery (AAIR): http://www.crihb.org/aair
For the AAIR call center (866) 350-8772
Grantee Organization: California Rural Indian Health Board, Inc. (CRIHB)
Project Name: Access to American Indian Recovery (AAIR)
Grant Name: Access to Recovery
Grant Number: H 79 TI019501-01
Project Contacts:
Erik Kakuska
AAIR Project Specialist
NW Portland Area Indian Health Board
503-416-3296
Sonciray Bonnell
Health Resource Coordinator
NW Portland Area Indian Health Board
527 SW Hall, Suite 300
Portland, OR 97201
(503) 228-4185 ext. 260
Tribal Drug CourtsTribal Drug Courts
Meth Lab Remediation Act Signed into Law
On December 21, the Methamphetamine Remediation Act of 2007 was signed into law. The act requires EPA within one year to develop voluntary cleanup guidelines for use by states and local governments to ensure that sites of former meth labs are safe. Additionally, the bill requires EPA to convene a conference on meth lab remediation for states and others within 90 days of the bill’s enactment and then every three years thereafter.
This Act may be cited as the `Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2007’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Methamphetamine use and production is growing rapidly throughout the United States.
(2) Materials and residues remaining from the production of methamphetamine pose novel environmental problems in locations where methamphetamine laboratories have been closed.
(3) There has been little standardization of measures for determining when the site of a closed methamphetamine laboratory has been successfully remediated.
(4) Initial cleanup actions are generally limited to removal of hazardous substances and contaminated materials that pose an immediate threat to public health or the environment. It is not uncommon for significant levels of contamination to be found throughout residential structures after a methamphetamine laboratory has closed, partially because of a lack of knowledge of how to achieve an effective cleanup.
(5) Data on methamphetamine laboratory-related contaminants of concern are very limited, and cleanup standards do not currently exist. In addition, procedures for sampling and analysis of contaminants need to be researched and developed.
(6) Many States are struggling with establishing remediation guidelines and programs to address the rapidly expanding number of methamphetamine laboratories being closed each year.
SEC. 3. VOLUNTARY GUIDELINES.
(a) Establishment of Voluntary Guidelines- Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (in this Act referred to as the `Administrator’
, in consultation with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, shall establish voluntary guidelines, based on the best currently available scientific knowledge, for the remediation of former methamphetamine laboratories, including guidelines regarding preliminary site assessment and the remediation of residual contaminants.
(b) Considerations- In developing the voluntary guidelines under subsection (a), the Administrator shall consider, at a minimum--
(1) relevant standards, guidelines, and requirements found in Federal, State, and local laws and regulations;
(2) the varying types and locations of former methamphetamine laboratories; and
(3) the expected cost of carrying out any proposed guidelines.
(c) States- The voluntary guidelines should be designed to assist State and local governments in the development and the implementation of legislation and other policies to apply state-of-the-art knowledge and research results to the remediation of former methamphetamine laboratories. The Administrator shall work with State and local governments and other relevant non-Federal agencies and organizations, including through the conference described in section 5, to promote and encourage the appropriate adoption of the voluntary guidelines.
(d) Updating the Guidelines- The Administrator shall periodically update the voluntary guidelines as the Administrator, in consultation with States and other interested parties, determines to be necessary and appropriate to incorporate research findings and other new knowledge.
SEC. 4. RESEARCH PROGRAM.
The Administrator shall establish a program of research to support the development and revision of the voluntary guidelines described in section 3. Such research shall--
(1) identify methamphetamine laboratory-related chemicals of concern;
(2) assess the types and levels of exposure to chemicals of concern identified under paragraph (1), including routine and accidental exposures, that may present a significant risk of adverse biological effects, and the research necessary to better address biological effects and to minimize adverse human exposures;
(3) evaluate the performance of various methamphetamine laboratory cleanup and remediation techniques; and
(4) support other research priorities identified by the Administrator in consultation with States and other interested parties.
SEC. 5. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CONFERENCE.
(a) Conference- Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and at least every third year thereafter, the Administrator shall convene a conference of appropriate State agencies, as well as individuals or organizations involved in research and other activities directly related to the environmental, or biological impacts of former methamphetamine laboratories. The conference should be a forum for the Administrator to provide information on the guidelines developed under section 3 and on the latest findings from the research program described in section 4, and for the non-Federal participants to provide information on the problems and needs of States and localities and their experience with guidelines developed under section 3.
(b) Report- Not later than 3 months after each conference, the Administrator shall submit a report to the Congress that summarizes the proceedings of the conference, including a summary of any recommendations or concerns raised by the non-Federal participants and how the Administrator intends to respond to them. The report shall also be made widely available to the general public.
SEC. 6. RESIDUAL EFFECTS STUDY.
(a) Study- Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences for a study of the status and quality of research on the residual effects of methamphetamine laboratories. The study shall identify research gaps and recommend an agenda for the research program described in section 4. The study shall pay particular attention to the need for research on the impacts of methamphetamine laboratories on--
(1) the residents of buildings where such laboratories are, or were, located, with particular emphasis given to biological impacts on children; and
(2) first responders.
(b) Report- Not later than 3 months after the completion of the study, the Administrator shall transmit to Congress a report on how the Administrator will use the results of the study to carry out the activities described in sections 3 and 4.
SEC. 7. METHAMPHETAMINE DETECTION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
The Director of National Institute of Standards and Technology, in consultation with the Administrator, shall support a research program to develop--
(1) new methamphetamine detection technologies, with emphasis on field test kits and site detection; and
(2) appropriate standard reference materials and validation procedures for methamphetamine detection testing.
SEC. 8. SAVINGS CLAUSE.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to affect or limit the application of, or any obligation to comply with, any State or Federal environmental law or regulation, including the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) and the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.).
SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) Environmental Protection Agency- There are authorized to be appropriated to the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out this Act $1,750,000 for each of the fiscal years 2007 and 2008.
(b) National Institute of Standards and Technology- There are authorized to be appropriated to the National Institute of Standards and Technology to carry out this Act $750,000 for each of the fiscal years 2007 and 2008.
Office of Applied Studies (OAS) has just released the following report on the web:
The DASIS Report: Geographic Differences in Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions for Methamphetamine/Amphetamine and Marijuana, a 3 page short report based on SAMHSA’s Drug and Alcohol Services Information System (DASIS), compares treatment admissions that reported methamphetamine/amphetamines or marijuana as their primary drug of abuse in 1995 with such treatment admissions in 2005 by State and region.
AT: http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k8/stateMethamphetamineTX/methamphetamines.cfm
For single or bulk orders of free copies of this report or any OAS report for meetings, contact SAMHSA’s National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) either on the web or by phone. Please allow sufficient time to process your request.
NCADI: http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/
Addiction Severity Index 5th Edition - North Dakota State Adaptation for use with Native Americans
An anti-meth campaign in a rural community
Babies of meth-using moms born underweight
Rural Meth Users Face Greater Health Issues
Yakama Nation Youth Conference on Meth News Clip
Elite American Indian tracking unit targets drug smugglers, narcotics
Meth puts stranglehold on vulnerable Indian reservation
Governor, recovered addict urge students to stay off meth on Pine Ridge.
Article about jurisdiction issues related to fighting the meth problem
SAMHSA Launches Searchable Database of Evidence-Based Practices in Prevention and Treatment of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
For Immediate Release Contact: SAMHSA Press Office, (240) 276-2130
March 1, 2007 http://www.samhsa.gov
SAMHSA Launches Searchable Database of Evidence–Based Practices in Prevention and Treatment of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
The new National Registry of Evidence–based Programs and Practices (NREPP) debuts online today, greatly expanding the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s efforts to help local organizations make informed decisions about evidence–based interventions for the prevention and treatment of mental health and substance use disorders.
NREPP (http://www.nrepp.samhsa.gov) is a searchable database with up–to–date, reliable information on the scientific basis and practicality of interventions. Users, such as community organizations and state and local officials, can perform custom searches to identify specific interventions based upon desired outcomes, target populations and service settings.
“The new NREPP is a major advancement in SAMHSA’s efforts to translate substance abuse and mental health research into practice,” said Terry Cline PhD, SAMHSA Administrator. “As more interventions become available, NREPP will accelerate the adoption of effective, evidence-based services to prevent and treat mental health and substance use disorders in community–based settings, achieving the goal of SAMHSA’s Science to Service Initiative.”
Originally created in the 1990s, NREPP has been redesigned based on extensive input from scientific communities, service providers, expert panels and the public.
Key features of the new NREPP system include:
Custom searches based upon desired outcomes, target populations and service settings;
Details on each intervention including: a brief descriptive summary, the types of outcomes achieved, the costs of implementing the intervention, and the complete contact information for the intervention developer;
Two independent expert ratings for each intervention – the first assessing the quality of research supporting specific intervention outcomes, and the second assessing the availability of implementation and training materials to support adoption of the intervention in routine service settings.
To have an intervention listed in NREPP, the intervention’s developer submits required information about the intervention for expert review. Experts then rate the intervention on the quality of research supporting specific intervention outcomes, and on the availability of implementation resources to translate the scientific findings into routine practice. All NREPP reviewers are recruited, selected, and approved by SAMHSA based on their experience and areas of expertise.
NREPP initially will offer information on 25 interventions that have been examined and rated by experts. With more than 200 additional interventions under review, NREPP is expected to add five to 10 new interventions each month.
As NREPP grows, it will address service needs and gaps in the substance abuse and mental health fields. New interventions may be submitted for review each year in response to an annual Federal Register notice.
NREPP supports SAMHSA’s Science to Service Initiative, which promotes greater adoption in routine clinical and community-based settings of those services that science has demonstrated to be effective in preventing and treating mental and substance use disorders. SAMHSA collaborates with the National Institutes on Drug Abuse, Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and Mental Health on this agency-wide effort.
For more information about NREPP ratings, how to use NREPP to identify specific interventions, or how to submit an intervention for review, visit the Web site at http://www.nrepp.samhsa.gov; contact NREPP at 1-866-43NREPP (1-866-436-7377); or send an e–mail to .
SAMHSA is a public health agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The agency is responsible for improving the accountability, capacity and effectiveness of the nation’s substance abuse prevention, addictions treatment and mental service delivery systems.
