Next year, California plans to spend $61 million on a program to help people addicted to drugs like meth and cocaine.
One part of this program gives gift cards to people who can stay off these drugs. To join, participants must visit a clinic twice a week and provide a urine sample. If their test is drug-free, they get a small amount of money on a gift card. The amount of money increases the longer they stay sober. They can choose gift cards from stores like Walmart, Bath and Body Works, and Hotels.com. If their test shows drugs, there are no penalties; they are just encouraged to try again.
After the urine testing ends, participants can join six more months of behavioral health treatment. This method, called “contingency management,” rewards good behavior rather than punishing bad behavior.
Since the program started in April, 19 counties in California have signed up almost 3,000 people. John Duff, who directs a treatment facility called Common Goals, says participants start by earning $10. This amount increases by $1.50 every two tests. Duff believes this motivates people to keep participating. However, if someone fails a drug test, they start over at $10, no matter how much they had been earning.
Tackling Drug Addiction and Mental Health
California’s $61 million program is part of a larger effort called CalAIM, which aims to improve social and mental health services for the state’s sickest and most vulnerable people. CalAIM stands for California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal and is managed by the state’s Department of Health Care Services. The goal is to improve care for people with complex health and social needs.
The state currently has 5,500 behavioral health beds but needs about 8,000 more to properly treat mental health and addiction issues.
Last week, Governor Gavin Newsom announced plans to make $3.3 billion available ahead of schedule to build more treatment centers. This funding comes from a new law passed in March, which allows the state to borrow nearly $6.4 billion to create 4,350 housing units. It also requires counties to spend two-thirds of the money from a millionaire tax on housing and programs for homeless people with serious mental illnesses or substance abuse problems.