-ATIN- 09/14/08 - Facing what he says is a $2 billion shortfall in the state's budget, Gov. Rod Blagojevich has cut $55 million from the state's alcohol and drug treatment budget - over 20 percent - and sparked a political battle royale in the state that is among the most contentious of the many fights that are erupting across the country as state treatment budgets are slashed in the midst of a $40 billion shortfall in state balance sheets nationwide.

Treatment Magazine estimates that, overall, about $25 billion a year is spent on addiction treatment nationwide, with about $19 billion of that coming from either local, state or federal funding. Over the last 10 years or so, the states have been the fastest growing source of funding for the addiction treatment industry, now accounting for about 60 percent of all public funding for for addiction treatment.

And while it is likely that the public treatment money in Illinois will be resotred, the state's lower house in the legislature on Wednesday voted 113-0 to restore the funding and treatment advocates are hopping mad that state Senate President Emil Jones is in no hurry to get the state's upper house to vote on funding restoration, another $55 million in matching federal funding for addiction in Illinois is now also in jeopardy.

The effects of the cutbacks are already beginning to be felt across the state. In August, publicly funded treatment leader Haymarket House in Chicago was forced to turn away hundreds of people seeking help due to $4 million in lost state money, according to the Chicago Tribune. And advocates at TASC say that, overall, the loss of funding in what was previously a nearly $250 million state budget for treatment will effect over 42,000 people statewide seeking help.

Illinois is far from alone among states that are cutting treatment budgets.The Florida state budget has been hit hard by the real estate downturn as themania that previously sent the state's real estate markets soaring has unwound sharply, and big real estate hit states like California are also in battles concerning state funding for addiction treatment.. among many others.

So far, proposals in Florida that would have cut $36 million from the Florida budget for public treatment - a move that would have closed a majority of the state's publicly funded centers - have not gone through, but the situation in the state remains extremely fluid as the state faces a massive $9 billion state shortfall. Nevertheless, big centers like Operation PAR in the St. Petersburg area and Coastal Behavioral Healthcare in Sarasota are facing significant cutbacks, with executives at PAR estmating earlier this year that funding would likely fall by about 10 percent for the year.

(Note To Readers: Please let us know what is going on in your state with regard to state and local funding so we can report your local events in this important national industry story. Our email address is below) 

Newswire Staff

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Addiction Drug Rehab Alcoholism