Save Our Sequim Search Engine
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Months of research by our team has led to an extensive library of peer reviewed studies, news, other articles, legislative content and the like. This material is now a searchable resource for anyone wanting to learn more.
Effects of medication assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder on functional outcomes: A systematic review
Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment Volume 89, June 2018, Pages 28-51
When compared with matched “healthy” controls with no history of substance use disorder (SUD), in two studies MAT patients had significantly poorer working memory and cognitive speed. One study found MAT patients scored worse in aggressive responding than did “healthy” controls. A large observational study found that MAT users had twice the odds of involvement in an injurious traffic accident as non-users.
Study
June 2018
Department of Human Services:
Payments for Self-Administered
Opioid Treatment Medication
Office of the Legislative Auditor, State of Minnesota
State of Minnesota: The Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) conducted a special review of payments the Department of Human Services (DHS) made to the White Earth Nation and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe for clients in their opioid addiction treatment programs to self-administer medications at home.
Because the payments were not authorized, occurred over several years, and total over $29 million, OLA had a responsibility to determine why DHS made the payments and why the department did not stop them sooner.
Government
October 29, 2019
Tribal Health Billing Guide - 2020
Washington State Health Care Authority
This billing guide is designed to assist Tribal health care facilities and providers to deliver health care services to eligible clients, and to bill the Medicaid agency for delivering those services. This publication takes effect January 1, 2020, and supersedes earlier guides to this program.
Government
January 1, 2020
Minnesota DHS overpaid tribes by $25.3 million for substance abuse treatment
Twin Cities Pioneer Press
The Minnesota Department of Human Services overpaid tribal governments $25.3 million for treatments covered under Medicaid, according to internal memos obtained by the Pioneer Press.
DHS officials learned this spring that they overpaid the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and the White Earth Nation for therapy used to treat substance abuse disorder, the memos state. The agency reimbursed the tribes for in-person visits with health care providers when the patients actually were self-administering the medication at home.
“Because DHS and the State were the architects of the billing structure that is being recalled, and specific Tribal employees that designed the billing for the Tribe have since resigned amid the audits the Tribe authorized in 2018 and 2019, the situation calls for shared responsibility,” said Tibbetts, White Earth Vice Chairman.
News Article
August 1, 2019
Homelessness divided a small Western Washington town. And then the fighting started.
Seattle Times
Bonney Lake and Buckley WA are two small towns in Pierce County WA. Struggling with the impact of homelessness and drug addiction in a transient population, residents took the problem into their own hands. The results ended up in violence and discredited the entire effort.
News Article
September 2, 2019
Are we making progress or stuck in neutral with the opioid crisis?
MSN News
Despite legislative changes to provide funding in excess of $10 Billion, solving the opioid crisis seems elusive.
"Success" is poorly defined yet only about 10% remain opioid-free 12 months after completing a program. No major breakthroughs or improvements have been made in treatment methods.
News Article
1/27/2020
History roots go deep with Sequim family
Citizen Review
The Shaw Family Farm rests just steps away from the location of the proposed Jamestown S'Klallam MAT clinic. The farm, started in 1931 continues as a working farm to this day, raising Angus cattle and apples.
Will this small family farm be a casualty of the proposed project across the pasture from where their herd peacefully grazes?
Website
December 5, 2019
Longest running homeless camp in Seattle meets its fate
KOMO News
Seattle's longest running homeless camp known as The Jungle 2.0 is being removed. (Oct. 2019)
“This is a convenient place because the little local methadone clinic Evergreen is why we are at this particular location,” says Paige Conca, a heroin addict who has lived at the camp for two years and gets treated at the clinic.
$1 million of new state money was allocated in July 2019 to WSDOT for homeless camp removal. Bart Treece of WSDOT says a portion of that money is being used in this camp clean up, which is expected to take several days to complete.
News Article
October 1, 2019
Save Our Sequim Position Paper
Mike Spence, Helsell Fetterman
White Paper stating Save Our Sequim's position concerning the errors in proceeding with this project. It is our opinion that the project fails scrutiny in the following regards, not an exhaustive list:
- Phased project not permissible
- Classification as a "Medical Clinic" inaccurate
- Need for facility not established
- Poor location choice
- Impact of facility not properly evaluated
For these reasons and more, the facility should at the very least be evaluated under a conditional use (C-2) process.
Government
October 10, 2019
A ‘Housing First’ Solution Could Actually Stimulate Homelessness
Huffington Post
HUD needs to remember that one size does not fit all. A rent voucher might well be the best solution for an otherwise self-supporting family that has suffered a temporary setback, such as an illness or lost job. But what drives most families into shelters are deeper-seated issues, such as a lack of education and employment skills, mental illness, substance abuse, and domestic violence.
News Article
May 25, 2016