Budget Revise

Gimmicks and Bad News all Around

Governor Jerry Brown released his May Budget Revision on Monday, May 14.  Staged early releases to the Media  in the previous days provided plenty of panic reports in the Sunday newspapers with reports of a looming

$16 billion deficit that would require severe cuts and absolutely necessitate passing the planned November tax increase proposition. In the following days, multiple media reports digging into the guts of the proposal revealed some of the pure hyperbole in the Governor's pronouncements. Still, the overall situation is catastrophic, as usual, and massive cuts are looming, pending of course the outcome of the November tax increase vote.

Of prime interest to CAARR members is the announcement that he (the Governor) has not altered even one iota his January proposal to abolish the CA Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs.  It remains 100 percent intact.  Not only would the Department be abolished effective July 1, which is horrible in itself, but even the absolutely most onerous parts of how the fragments would be distributed remain exactly as proposed in January.  Residential facility licensing is still being proposed for transfer to the Department of Social Services Community Care division, while program certification would be shipped off to the Department of Health Care Services.

It is clear that the Administration has not listened to ANY input from the stakeholders.  They've blown off not only CAARR but CADPAAC and every provider organization who insisted that AOD facility licensing must not be separated from program certification.  The ruse of convening several 'stakeholder meetings' to listen to the field - a time-tested method used to buy time and placate the public while providing a plausible defense to the Legislature -- resulted in NO changes whatsoever to the initial proposal.

This game is headed into the ninth inning.  There will probably be little if any semblance of a Two-House Budget Conference Committee, and the ADP item, along with billions of dollars in budget cuts, will be decided largely by the Big 3 --- the Governor, Senate President pro tem Steinberg, and Assembly Speaker Perez.  CAARR is continuing to advocate by appealing to Legislators to REJECT the Administration's proposal in its entirety as we enter an extremely dangerous period in which the decision to keep or kill ADP will be made in less than 3 weeks.

SAMHSA Conference

National CONFERence on Behavioral Health for Women and Girls

Co-sponsored by Mental Health Systems, Inc.

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO MAY 31, 2012

Register now to receive the early bird rate.

SAMHSA's National CONFERence on Behavioral Health for Women and Girls is the only conference that focuses on current policy, evidence-based strategies, and leadership, collaboration, and planning for women and girls' health, empowerment, resilience, and recovery.

Register by clicking the link below

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July 17th -19th at the San Diego Marriott Marquis

16 CEU's Available

Revised Definition of Addiction

A proposed revision to the definition of addiction by mental health specialists could lead to millions of additional people receiving an addiction diagnosis, The New York Times reports. The changes could lead to big consequences for both health insurers and taxpayers, according to the newspaper.
The revisions are being proposed for the new edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), scheduled for release in May 2013. The manual would enlarge the list of recognized symptoms for drug and alcohol addiction, and reduce the number of symptoms needed for a diagnosis.
 
Click here to read more

Call For Presenters

With the Semi-Annual Conference coming up in September at the Palm Springs Hilton, CAARR is looking for dynamic individuals to present trainings. If you have a training you would like to present, or a topic you would like to see covered, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

SAVE THE DATE

Recovery Happens

September 5th 2012
West Steps of our State Capitol

CAARR Board of Directors

Paul Savo - President
The Fellowship Center

Phil Allen - Vice President
Pat Moore Foundation

Ramona Robertson - Secretary
Central Valley Recovery Services

Lisa Beintker - Treasurer
Associated Recovery Program for Women

Tom Avey - Legislation
Avey and Associates

Tom Greenwood
The Roque Center

Greg Dorst
Cedar House

Craig Koury
River City Recovery

Patricia Flood
Stepping Stones

Janet Knotts
Turning Point

Don Troutman
Clean and Sober, Inc.

Wendell Carmichael
House of Uhuru

Lori Newman
Community Social Model Advocates

Jim O'Connell
Social Model Recovery

Dan Tobin
ARA First Step

Alternates

Cindy "Oma" Gray
Soroptomist House of Hope

Lorraine Martinez
The Villa

Glen Webber
San Diego Freedom Ranch