On November 5^th, ASAM sent a  letter to Senators Chris Murphy and Bill Cassidy in response to their request for input on policies to improve mental health and substance use disorder care. In the letter, ASAM presented policy changes to optimize the functioning of select federal programs and identified new evidence-based practices in need of further implementation and legislation.

Specifically, ASAM’s letter stressed the urgent need for a cohesive federal response to address long-standing inadequacies in our country’s treatment infrastructure and alleviate persistent shortages of qualified addiction specialist physicians. As such, ASAM recommended closer coordination among relevant federal agencies, greater integration between primary care and behavioral health reimbursement, and robust funding for the addiction treatment workforce-- such as the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. ASAM also expressed support for legislation to ensure state compliance with mental health and addiction parity law and codification of audio-video telehealth prescribing flexibilities for the treatment of substance use disorder. Finally, ASAM called on federal legislators to consider new and promising strategies like contingency management. Recognized as an effective strategy by National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), contingency management provides patients with monetary or non-monetary rewards to reinforce desired behaviors, such as treatment adherence or reduced substance use.

In sum, ASAM’s recommendations provided Senators Murphy and Cassidy with clear suggestions on how to take meaningful action to improve the federal government’s response to the mental health and substance use disorder crisis.  

Read the letter here.