Mental Health Parity
Four Successful A Safe Haven Foundation Alums Addressed the Illinois State Legislature Hearing on Mental Health Parity Informing them on URGENT Issues & Inspiring them by Their Powerful & Emotional Testimony That REAL Solutions Exist!
Chicago, IL — On Friday, January 12, 2018, Neli Vazquez Rowland, President of A Safe Haven Foundation (ASHF), along with current and alumni clients, attended the IL House Mental Health Committee Hearing on Health Insurance Coverage of Addiction Treatment. The event took place on the 6th floor of Chicago’s historic Michael Bilandic State of Illinois Building at 160 North LaSalle Street.
The hearing was kicked off by the emotional and powerful testimony from four formerly Opioid and Heroin Addicted ASHF Alums named Angalia, Angel, Quinten and Leon. Each came from different backgrounds and all ended up addicted to drugs for over 30 years, each ended up being arrested over 300 times collectively, experienced over 100 overdoses and had become known as “frequent fliers” in the emergency healthcare system and ‘repeat offenders” in the prison system. Their moving testimonies reflected how such crisis can happen to anyone, the potential for recovery with treatment, and why we need your support!
Neli Vazquez Rowland deferred speaking & submitted written testimony along with surveys from over 50 currently addicted, homeless & behavioral health impacted ASHF residents. All advocated to include and expand funding from Medical Assisted Treatment (MAT) to create standards of behavioral health continuum of care that allows insurance coverage to support abstinence based protocols that can stabilize, assess and address all co-existing social determinants and solve other Social, Economic and Housing Issues. Doing so will save lives and save money – short and long-term.
A Safe Haven employs one the most comprehensive approaches to helping clients move from opioid addiction to abstinence that focuses on the whole person, including their healthcare needs, both mental and physical, as well as other social determinants that contributed and/or are a result of their addiction. Job training, placement and retention services, adult education, and assistance securing stabilized housing, and long-term mental health treatment are provided to help clients stay on their abstinent and stable path.
ASHF recommends medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction, on a case by case basis, as a potential tool to ultimately achieve a more lasting impact of long term recovery, free and clear of medical assisted treatment–a goal that is achievable at A Safe Haven in most cases. ASHF does not reject MAT for opioid addiction as a tool to recovery, but views this treatment as one part of the larger plan—an overall sturdier plan with a stronger network of supports and more lasting impact.
With the opioid epidemic at the forefront of the political mind right now ASHF urges government not to allow MAT proponents to monopolize the conversation and the funding. We urge those involved in these important conversations and decision-making processes to become aware of the importance of moving the conversation toward creating more robust standards for Behavioral Healthcare and building on a proven comprehensive and integrated Behavioral Healthcare System that contemplates root causes and provides residential care, abstinence, housing and employment, and long-term recovery as real and achievable goals!
ASHF prides itself on being person-centered in the way we address substance use and abuse treatment. However, as it has been well documented nationally, the scale of the current opioid epidemic is unlike anything we have ever seen and therefore we are working to develop more innovative approaches to get ahead of the issue, armed with solutions! ASHF strongly supports taking an interdisciplinary methodology to solving social problems.
Since 1994, ASHF has employed a comprehensive approach to helping clients move from opioid addiction to abstinence that focuses on the whole person, including their healthcare needs, both mental and physical, as well as other social determinants that contributed to their addiction. Clients are provided with job training, placement and retention services, adult education, assistance securing stabilized housing, as well as long-term mental health treatment to help them stay on their abstinence path.
Neli has been working tirelessly, advocating to lawmakers, and leading community stakeholders on the importance of an integrated innovative approach to treat this population beyond the medical and pharmaceutical approaches. Without representation at the grassroots, legislators are missing out on the crucial perspective of community-based, holistic organizations that focus on the whole person when helping those with addictions move from a place of illness to a place of complete wellness. It is our position to advocate to the federal government to stop allowing MAT proponents to dominate the conversation. It is our recommendation that those involved in these important conversations and decision-making processes become aware of the importance of moving the conversation toward creating standards for Behavioral Healthcare and building on a proven comprehensive and integrated Behavioral Healthcare system that contemplates residential care, abstinence and long-term recovery as real and achievable goals, right now!