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PSAM Supports Expanding Contingency Management Programs for Stimulant Use Disorder
On November 12, the Pennsylvania Society of Addiction Medicine (PSAM), along with the Pennsylvania Psychiatry Society (PaPS), sent a letter to the leadership of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in support of HB 1974. This legislation would create a new grant program to assist counties in establishing contingency management programs for the treatment of stimulant use disorder.
In the letter, PSAM noted that stimulant use disorder is a growing problem in Pennsylvania. According to estimates, overdose deaths involving stimulants and stimulants paired with opioids have been increasing in recent years. PSAM characterized contingency management as a critical tool to confront rising harms from stimulants and stimulant use disorder. Contingency management is a gold-standard treatment that provides small non-cash rewards (like grocery gift cards or bus tickets) for positive behaviors like attending appointments or having negative drug screens. However, challenges arise implementing contingency management on a large scale because it falls outside traditional reimbursement models. As such, PSAM praised HB 1974 as an important first step to lend state support to contingency management programs and expand access to this promising form of treatment for stimulant use disorder.