2-YEAR 50% GAIN IN DRUG FUNDS FALLS FAR SHORT OF STATE'S NEEDS

When the nation's drug czar, retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey, came to
Billings last week to focus community attention on the methamphetamine
problem, he pointed out how much money the federal government has
directed toward fighting drugs in Montana.

Federal anti-drug funds increased from $10.46 million in fiscal 1997
to $15.5 million in fiscal 1999, according to information provided by
McCaffrey's staff from the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Where did the money go?

A $1.75 million increase in prevention and treatment block grant funds
(for a total of $5.58 million this year) allowed the state Addictive
and Mental Disorders Division to "almost double" the money spent on
adolescent outpatient treatment, according to Roland Mena, chief of
the state Chemical Dependency Bureau. The state has budgeted about $1
million this year for outpatient treatment for adolescents.

Other spending increases were made for residential treatment in
Browning and at a Missoula group home, Mena said Friday in Billings
after listening to a talk by McCaffrey. Mena said the state will
consider requests to fund additional group homes or halfway houses for
recovering addicts, but is still waiting on written confirmation of
how much federal money the division will have to spend in the state
fiscal year that begins in July.

Mena said Montana also budgeted about $2 million in federal funds for
adult outpatient treatment and $2.7 million in state alcohol tax funds
to operate the Montana Chemical Dependency Center, an adult inpatient
treatment program in Butte.

Montana doesn't operate a state inpatient program for people under age
18. But the Legislature appropriated $162,000 a year in General Fund
money to pay for a limited number of adolescent treatment beds in
private facilities in Billings, Great Falls and Kalispell.

Although Mena said adolescent chemical dependency services have
expanded, treatment professionals and probation officials who spoke to
McCaffrey and his staff said there aren't nearly enough treatment
services available to needy Montana youth.

Mena said there has been "a very slow start up" with expansion of
adolescent services for outpatient treatment. As for inpatient needs,
he said: "We're going to have to go back to the Legislature."

In adult care, the Butte treatment center has increased the length of
time methamphetamine addicts can stay in treatment in an effort to
give them better treatment. However, the longer stays mean fewer
people admitted and waiting lists are several weeks long.

Mena said the division is looking at outcomes, not quantity, for MCDC
and must deal with limited funds.

Except for the adolescent outpatient appropriation, all of the money
Montana uses for drug treatment and prevention comes from federal
grants or state alcohol tax funds.

"It's either federal or what people drink," Mena said.

One idea being considered in the executive budget process for the 2001
biennium is Medicaid coverage for chemical dependency treatment.
Montana's Medicaid program doesn't cover adult chemical dependency
treatment and it only covers some adolescent outpatient care.

The federal government pays 70 percent of Medicaid costs, but the
state would have to come up with 30 percent. Mena said state officials
are discussing the possibility of using alcohol tax funds - now
allocated to counties - for the state Medicaid match.

The Medicaid change is a preliminary proposal that would have to be
presented to and approved by the Legislature if it were to become law.

According to the ONDCP information, other federal funds flowing into
Montana include $3 million for Health and Human Services youth drug
prevention grants. Only a fraction of that money has been allocated to
actual community programs in a process administered by the state
Addictive and Mental Disorders Division. Billings, Missoula, Hamilton
and Livingston groups received youth prevention grants and other
communities are seeking such grants.

Other federal dollars include about $4 million in fiscal 1999 for
local law enforcement block grants and $2.1 million for Safe and Drug
Free Schools block grants.

Pat Bellinghausen can be reached at 657-1303 or at pbelling@billings
gazette.com