(NewsNation) — In the coming fiscal year, California is expected to allocate $61 million to a program focusing on helping those with addictions to drugs like meth and cocaine.
One of the programs the state is putting into place gives people who are addicted to stimulants gift cards if they can stay sober. To be in the program, patients must show up to their designated clinic twice a week to provide a urine sample.
If they test negative, they receive a small stipend on a gift card from a store of their choice, with the funds increasing as the person continues with the program. Businesses that they can choose from include Walmart, Bath and Body Works and Hotels.com. There are no consequences if they test positive — instead, they are just encouraged to try again and come back to the clinic at a later date.
After the urine testing portion of the program ends, participants can enroll in six months of additional behavioral health treatment. This approach is called “contingency management,” which is based on rewarding people for good behavior, as opposed to taking more punitive measures.
Since California’s pilot program launched in April, 19 counties in the state have enrolled almost 3,000 participants. John Duff, the program director at an outpatient substance abuse treatment facility called Common Goals, says people start off getting $10, with the number going up by $1.50 every two tests.
“It hooks them into participating more and more,” Duff said. Another incentive to stay clean? If they don’t pass one drug test, they’re back at square one ($10) even if they were earning more before.
California has dedicated significant funds to efforts aimed at curbing drug addictions, especially as state data shows that the number of residents dying from stimulants has doubled from 2019 to 2023.
Investing in Mental Health
The $61 million being allocated to the program is part of a broader initiative called CalAIM aiming to provide social and behavioral health services to some of the state’s sickest and most vulnerable patients, KFF Health News reported in an article published by the Los Angeles Times. CalAIM, which stands for California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal, was launched by the state’s Department of Health Care Services.
“This major reform has the potential to improve outcomes for the millions of people enrolled in Medi-Cal,” its website states. “It also offers an unprecedented opportunity to move to a more integrated and people-centered approach to care for people with the most complex health and social needs.”
California, according to the Associated Press, currently has an inventory of 5,500 behavioral health beds, though it needs around 8,000 more units to treat mental health and addiction issues.
Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom announced last week he plans to make $3.3 billion available ahead of schedule for counties and private developers to start building more behavioral health treatment centers, saying it is part of the state’s efforts to reduce homelessness. It’s the first pot of money from a ballot measure passed in March that’s partly designed to help cities, counties, tribes and developers build or renovate treatment centers and clinics.
This recently passed measure lets the state borrow nearly $6.4 billion to build 4,350 housing units and also requires counties to spend two-thirds of the money from a tax on millionaires on housing and programs for homeless people with serious mental illnesses or substance abuse problems.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
