Moving Past the Era of Good Intentions: Methamphetamine Treatment Study

When the Nebraska Legislature passed LB 425, it mirrored a change in the state's philosophy and response to methamphetamine abuse. This study examined the policy and implementation issues that stand in the way of a coordinated system to treat methamphetamine dependency. The key recommendations for changing or expanding the infrastructure for Nebraska's methamphetamine response system include:

• Legislative action and incentives to develop more methamphetamine treatment professionals throughout the state
  
  
• Incentives for treatment providers to expand and develop localized methamphetamine abuse treatment programs
  
  
• Funding and legislative action to establish and staff day/night reporting centers across Nebraska in support of Probation, Parole, drug courts, and diversion programs
  
  
• An increased utilization of the WEC as a methamphetamine treatment facility for those offenders whose crimes and risk to others do not warrant incarceration by DCS
  
  
• A centralized substance abuse treatment facility for medium and low risk offenders committed to the custody of the Department of Correctional Services
  
  
• Expanding the use of ASI/CASI evaluations and the standardized reporting format throughout all of justice and HHS
  
  
• A centralized database where substance abuse evaluation results and treatment summaries are kept and accessed by social service, justice, and treatment providers 
  
  
• Ongoing research to drive targeted capacity expansion for treatment and recovery services
  
  
• Ongoing research to monitor the effectiveness of treatment programs
  
  
• Creating an office which can coordinate the implementation of any recommendations which may be adopted and report to the Governor, Legislature, and Supreme Court on the progress being made
  
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