HB2999 and CADC’s:

As you know, in the rule changes proposed by ODMHSAS and OHCA, CADC’s will no longer be allowed to provide SA psychotherapy services as of January 1, 2012. Representative Kris Steele authored and is working for the passage of House Bill (HB) 2999 that extends the time CADC’s can provide psychotherapy services until June 30, 2013. This will give CADC’s additional time to complete a master’s degree. HB2999 also insures Substance Abuse Services will continue to be represented on the ODMHSAS Board of Directors. HB2999 passed the House and is now being heard in the Senate. Contact your legislators and ask for their support of HB2999 and join me in thanking Representative Steele for the work he continues to do in support of substance abuse services.

The Coalition of Advocates is asking us to take action concerning the FY2011 Budget:

As our state’s budget crisis continues to be front page news, we need you to remind our state’s leader’s that treatment for mental illness and substance abuse is becoming harder to access with budget cuts, and that our state’s treatment system cannot endure more cuts.

Click here to tell them mental health should be at the forefront of negotiations. (view current list of active campaigns)

Both Governor Brad Henry and Speaker of House Chris Benge have come out in support of protecting mental health and substance abuse funding saying that these services are a “priority area”.

Tell them that you agree and urge Senate Pro Temp Glenn Coffee to join them in their stance to protect these important services.

Click here to tell our leaders to protect mental health and substance abuse treatment. (view current list of active campaigns)

Your efforts are working to raise the profile of behavioral health needs in budget negotiations, but we still have work to do. Thanks for taking action again to share your message with policy makers.

Connie Motley, M.Ed., LPC
Executive Director
Oklahoma Substance Abuse Services Alliance
3200 NW 48th Street Suite201
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
Office: 405-702-7215
Fax: 405-609-1946
Cell: 405-615-4855
“Be the change you want to see in the world.” –Mohandas Gandhi

You be the change agent.

Greetings All:

You received an earlier communication related to advocacy calls, e-mails and visits to the Capitol to get a hearing on several Criminal Justice reform proposals before the Legislature this year. Below is a list and synopsis of some of the critical criminal justice reform bills proposed.  To date, Senator Anthony Sykes, Chair, Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety and Judiciary, is refusing to hear these Bills. The last week to get the bills out of committee is next week.

To be clear, IF EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO SUPPORTS THESE BILLS DOES NOT CALL SEN. SYKES, SEN. COFFEE, OR VISIT THEIR OFFICES—WE WILL LOSE THIS OPPORTUNITY.

CALL Senator Sykes at 405-521-5569, EMAIL sykes@oksenate.gov and/or VISIT his office in the State Capitol, Room 426.

CALL Senator Coffee at 405-521-5636, EMAIL coffee@oksenate.gov and/or VISIT his office in the State Capitol, Room 422.

SAMPLE SCRIPT / STATEMENT:

This is to request that you please hear these Senate Bills in committee next week.  Given the current budget crisis, these proposals can save millions of dollars. Thank you very much for your consideration:

SB 2326 – Creates a measure to require compliance by the Governor with existing law.   Title 57 O.S. § 332.16 provides, “No recommendation to the Governor for parole shall remain under consideration and in the possession of that office for a time longer than thirty (30) days.”  SB 2326 requires that parole is deemed granted if Governor does not act on said recommendation as statutorily required. The MGT Audit indicates a savings of $40 Million in the next ten years by removing the Governor from this process.

Page 2

SB 2329 – Creates a emergency Non-Violent Offender Alternative Placement Program, which provides for placement of persons convicted of non-violent, non-drug property offenses on GPS monitoring, house arrest, early parole supervision and other places as an alternative to in prison beds.  If enacted, this measure will result in a cost savings of at least $118 Million to the State of Oklahoma without measurable impact to public safety.

SB 2328 –Allows enhancement of criminal punishment beyond statutory maximum when an offender has committed two prior violent offenses (21 O.S. § 51.1).

SB 2325 – Disallows “Life without the Possibility of Parole” as a punishment for drug offenses (63 O.S. § 2-415), and provides for numeric sentence re-calculation by the Pardon and Parole Board for the 36 people currently serving LWOP for drug offenses.

A review of these 36 case files demonstrated that these offenders were arbitrarily characterized as drug traffickers, relative to other offenders similarly situated:

a. who are currently or were previously in custody for drug possession of larger

quantities, and/or

b. whose drug activities clearly demonstrated entrepreneurial intent.

SB 2321 – Creates an Office of the Ombudsman as an additional point of review of DOC inmate grievances; categorizes the Office as an administrative remedy; and requires exhaustion before an inmate may bring a tort claim or action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in federal court.  Potentially reduces the need for costly judicial reviews through improved DOC policy compliance in resolving inmate issues.  Such an Office could also help prevent litigation such as Battle v. Anderson and its progeny, which resulted in more than 20 years of federal oversight of Oklahoma’s prisons and the spending of millions in state dollars.