What
is the Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs?
In 1972, the General Assembly
established a health, education, and rehabilitation program for the prevention
and treatment of drug and alcohol abuse through the enactment of the
Pennsylvania Drug and Alcohol Abuse Control Act, Act 1972-63.
This law established the Governor's Council on Drug and Alcohol Abuse
which was to be chaired by the Governor. The
Council was subsequently reorganized through Reorganization Plan 1981-4 which
transferred its responsibilities and its administrative authorities to the
Department of Health (Department) and designated it as the advisory body to the
Department on issues surrounding drug and alcohol programs.
Act 1985-119 amended Act 1972-63, changing the name of the Council to the
Pennsylvania Advisory Council on Drug and Alcohol Abuse and designated the
Secretary of Health as the chairperson. Since
the Council's inception, the provision of publicly funded drug and alcohol
treatment and prevention services has had a strong community orientation through
a system of Single County Authorities (SCAs).
The Pennsylvania Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Control Act requires the Department to develop a State Plan for the control,
prevention, intervention, treatment, rehabilitation, research, education, and
training aspects of drug and alcohol abuse and dependence problems.
In addition to its responsibility to
develop a plan for drug and alcohol services, the Department is also responsible
for approval and licensing of free-standing drug and alcohol facilities.
Drug and alcohol treatment
activities which are a part of a health care facility are also subject to the
licensure requirements for a health care facility.
The health care facility receives a license under the Health Care
Facility Act which covers those drug and alcohol activities which are part of a
health care facility. The
Department also issues a certificate of compliance to the drug and alcohol
component within the health care facility which certifies that program areas
meet the minimum standards germane to drug and alcohol treatment under the
Pennsylvania Drug and Alcohol Abuse Control Act.
In addition to the program's
enabling legislation and operating regulations, a provision of the federal
Public Health Service Act places additional requirements on how drug treatment
and prevention funds are used. This statute authorizes use of the Substance Abuse Prevention and
Treatment Block Grant. The
Department is designated as the Single State Agency to plan and allocate the
Block Grant in combination with the state appropriation to SCAs and other
community based programs based upon population, competitive awards, and other
factors.
While the Department has regulatory
responsibility through its licensure authority over both public and private drug
and alcohol facilities, the primary purpose is to develop a drug and alcohol
system that is responsive to the needs of public clients.
The system that has been developed encompasses a continuum of services
from primary prevention through treatment.
The Department's Bureau of Drug
and Alcohol Programs (BDAP) requires the SCAs to implement case management
services to assure proper placement within the continuum.
BDAP is also moving the SCAs towards greater accountability by
instituting outcome measures to ascertain the effectiveness of services.
The funding to support the system,
both federal and state dollars, is funding of last resort.
That is, all other sources of funds are to be utilized first, including
Medicaid before the Department's funding streams. The primary funders of prevention and early intervention
services in the Commonwealth are the Departments of Health and Education.
The Departments of Health and Public Welfare (DPW) are the funders of
Pennsylvania's public treatment system.