{"id":6239,"date":"2025-06-03T12:06:41","date_gmt":"2025-06-03T16:06:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gc4recovery.org\/?p=6239"},"modified":"2025-06-03T12:14:52","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T16:14:52","slug":"addressing-the-addiction-epidemic-in-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gc4recovery.org\/gc4rnewwebsite20\/addressing-the-addiction-epidemic-in-america\/","title":{"rendered":"Addressing The Addiction Epidemic in America: It Is Time to Expand\u00a0Life Saving Funding From The Administration and Congress \u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fully Enforce Parity and Increase Funds for Peer Led Recovery\u00a0Programs In Local Communities \u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/div>\n
The Number One cause of death for Americans 18 to 45 continues to be\u00a0opioid overdose and fentanyl poisoning. There is no greater or more\u00a0serious domestic policy issue.<\/div>\n
America is losing a generation to the Addiction Epidemic. Death rates\u00a0surpass totals from multiple wars. America averages some 200 deaths per\u00a0day \u2013 the equivalent of a 737-airplane crashing \u2013 everyday.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
How many deaths must occur before America says: enough.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
It\u2019s not just fatalities that drive the Addiction Epidemic. Non-fatal incidents\u00a0surrounding the Addiction Epidemic impact both peers and their families in\u00a0profound ways.<\/div>\n
Addiction, properly referred to as Substance Use Disorder, is a medical\u00a0issue.\u00a0The United States is at a pivotal moment in the Addiction Epidemic.<\/div>\n
Beyond the death and survival statistics lies the impact the Addiction\u00a0Epidemic has on the American workforce. Businesses large and local are\u00a0having to address the reality that addiction is impacting America\u2019s ability to\u00a0maintain a workforce and conduct business in a consistent and profitable\u00a0manner. \u00a0The Administration and Congress have two options: save lives, restore\u00a0families, and strengthen communities; or watch the death rates continue to\u00a0increase in communities across the nation<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n

Parity\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
Numerous states remain in noncompliance with both the Federal and state\u00a0parity laws. Most families cannot afford treatment and must have insurance\u00a0to support their loved one. Unfortunately, all too often, the insurance lobby\u00a0is failing to comply with both Federal and state law. Far too many American\u00a0families enter generational debt because insurance is failing to cover\u00a0treatment in a professional and medically appropriate manner.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

The Georgia Council for Recovery calls on The Administration,\u00a0Congress, the United States Department of Justice, and the bipartisan\u00a0National Association of Attorneys General to take appropriate actions\u00a0to ensure full compliance with Parity at both the Federal and state\u00a0level. \u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Federal Funding \u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
There is widespread, bipartisan support, for the concept that States, and\u00a0local communities, best know the way to serve their populations – not the\u00a0federal government. Creating an environment allowing for innovative\u00a0solutions at the state level instead of building administrative silos is smart\u00a0science and will save taxpayer dollars.<\/div>\n
Reasonable Americans agree that States should have the ability to fund\u00a0various activities most appropriate to the needs of their communities\u00a0including addressing prevention, treatment, recovery, and responding to\u00a0overdoses.\u00a0Americans appreciate bipartisan efforts to address waste, fraud, and abuse\u00a0of taxpayer dollars. \u00a0The Behavioral Health Innovation Block Grant which will consolidate the\u00a0funding for the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant, Substance\u00a0Use Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Support Services Block Grant,and State Opioid Response may very well increase flexibility but reduce\u00a0administrative burden for states by having a single reporting mechanism.Addressing structural reform to the bureaucracy is a welcome and\u00a0appropriate privilege and responsibility for every Presidential\u00a0Administration. \u00a0Yet, as much as this effort is appreciated, and might even save taxpayer dollars, reduce duplication, and simplify the administrative process,\u00a0that is not the most important matter facing the Administration in their FY 2026 Health and Human Services Budget. Saving lives, restoring families, and strengthening communities with increased funding is the top priority\u00a0facing the Administration in their FY\u00a02026 Health and Human Services Budget.Initial indications suggest that the block grants aren\u2019t as stable and static\u00a0as, many in the Addiction Recovery Community anticipated they would be\u00a0with the reorganization of SAMHSA at HHS.If enacted as proposed, the new Behavioral Health Innovation Block Grant\u00a0will be funded at nearly ONE BILLION dollars LESS ($4.1B compared to\u00a0$5.1B). \u00a0Most Americans understand the need for fiscal responsibility. However, the\u00a0fact is, there is nothing fiscally responsible about letting preventable deaths\u00a0continue because we failed to invest in programs that are proven to work. A\u00a0lack of investment now will result in substantially increased funding\u00a0requirements in the near future that cannot be avoided. Nor is there anything conservative about ignoring the safety, health and\u00a0security consequences of an unchecked addiction and fentanyl epidemic\u00a0on families in communities across America,<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n

The Georgia Council for Recovery urges The Administration and\u00a0Congress to work in a bipartisan manner to increase funding in the\u00a0new Behavioral Health Innovation Block Grant as opposed to\u00a0recommending a reduction of some ONE BILLION. \u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

Yes, there are places to find cuts in the Federal Budget. The medical\u00a0issue killing the largest number of Americans 18-45 is not that place.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n
It is imperative that The Administration and Congress address the Addiction\u00a0Epidemic with a pro-family, pro-business, and pro-community bipartisan\u00a0plan of action to increase peer and clinical lead addiction recovery\u00a0programs in communities across American.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
The Georgia Council for Recovery urges The Administration to move\u00a0forward with a plan operating under a banner of \u201cbold, unmistakable colors\u00a0with no pale pastels\u201d<\/div>\n
The over 150 MILLION American families impacted by the Addiction\u00a0Epidemic are united in bipartisan support for funding that meets the\u00a0moment, matches the science, and saves lives.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fully Enforce Parity and Increase Funds for Peer Led Recovery\u00a0Programs In Local Communities \u00a0 The Number One cause of death for Americans 18 to 45 continues to be\u00a0opioid overdose and fentanyl poisoning. There is no greater or more\u00a0serious domestic policy issue. America is losing a generation to the Addiction Epidemic. Death rates\u00a0surpass totals from multiple […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6239","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"yoast_head":"\nAddressing The Addiction Epidemic in America: It Is Time to Expand\u00a0Life Saving Funding From The Administration and Congress \u00a0 - Georgia Council for Recovery<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/gc4recovery.org\/addressing-the-addiction-epidemic-in-america\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Addressing The Addiction Epidemic in America: It Is Time to Expand\u00a0Life Saving Funding From The Administration and Congress \u00a0 - Georgia Council for Recovery\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Fully Enforce Parity and Increase Funds for Peer Led Recovery\u00a0Programs In Local Communities \u00a0 The Number One cause of death for Americans 18 to 45 continues to be\u00a0opioid overdose and fentanyl poisoning. 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