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A Message from the Director, Renée Zito

Picture of Director Renée Zito

Governor Schwarzenegger last year appointed me as Director of the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs (ADP).  In this position, I lead California’s alcohol and drug treatment, prevention, and recovery efforts along with problem gambling prevention programs.  With an extensive background in the addictions field, I understand the necessity of providing effective programs that will not only benefit those in prevention and treatment programs, but their families and communities as well.  My goal as Director of ADP is that every alcohol and other drug service provider in California should meet standards of care that are higher than what we have in place now.

ADP is committed to reducing alcohol abuse, drug addiction and problem gambling through prevention, treatment and recovery support services so that Californians may lead healthy and productive lives.  Our vision is to have all Californians understand that alcoholism, drug addiction and problem gambling are chronic conditions that can be successfully prevented and treated.

In one of my first moves, I created the Office of Women’s and Perinatal Services because I am passionate about women’s treatment issues.  Every woman in California should have access to high quality, gender specific and trauma informed alcohol and drug services.  Many women drop out of treatment in the first 30 days, so it’s important to me to work with stakeholders to identify the barriers to treatment success, and ways to improve treatment retention rates and outcomes in our treatment system..

The Office of Women’s and Perinatal Services convened a workgroup of experts in womens’ treatment who developed core competencies for programs that serve women.  The core competencies will be included in treatment standards that are currently in the development stage.  We’re also developing “Gold Star” certification for programs that provide a higher level of service for women.

Prescription drug misuse is a growing problem in California.  Earlier this year, I created a task force made up of researchers, clinicians and program experts from around California and the nation to develop a plan to address prescription drug misuse.  The task force is completing work on an executive summary of prescription drug misuse and will release the report this fall along with recommendations to address the problem.

Today, addiction is seen as an acute and chronic condition that requires ongoing management.  Through a major initiative, the department has taken the lead role in moving state prevention and treatment providers to adopt the chronic care view of addiction.  Under the chronic care model, clients need both immediate treatment as well as ongoing recovery support services to deal with the chronicity of substance abuse.  This year, three counties are testing recovery support services as a new feature in their continuum of care.  Recovery support services engage the client in their recovery process and intervene before relapse occurs.

Our department is also focusing on other issues that include improving outcomes in Proposition 36 and stepping up its commitment to co-occurring disorders. Prevention planning for effective outcomes and prevention programs targeting methamphetamine addiction and problem gambling are also key initiatives.

California voters approved Proposition 36, the Substance Abuse Prevention and Crime Act (SACPA) in 2000. Under SACPA, over 48,000 nonviolent drug offenders are sentenced annually to drug treatment rather than jail or prison. In 2006, the Offender Treatment Program (OTP) was enacted to improve SACPA program outcomes and offender accountability. OTP implements key findings of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) SACPA evaluations in order to improve show rates and completion outcomes. Under my direction, we are assisting counties institute promising practices that UCLA found to be associated with more successful treatment outcomes, thereby increasing cost benefits to the state and improving client outcomes.

Co-occurring disorders occur when an individual is experiencing both mental illness and substance abuse problems. Earlier this year, the department distributed a guide to treatment providers that describes how providers may work with counties to access the $40-$60 million that is available under the Mental Health Services Act Prevention and Early Intervention component of the Act. ADP is also providing information to providers about tools that assess the effectiveness of co-occurring programs and screen for individuals with co-occurring disorders.

The Strategic Planning Framework is a statewide effort to insure that prevention programs are meeting the needs of the communities they serve. The Strategic Planning Framework provides counties with a planning model from which to develop prevention programs and increases the odds of effective prevention efforts while improving outcomes and accountability.

In order to combat the growing methamphetamine problem, ADP in March launched a methamphetamine public education and information campaign. The campaign targets men who have sex with men and women through outreach and public education.

The Office of Problem Gambling was legislatively established in August 2003 to develop prevention programs to address problem and pathological gambling issues. It is estimated that 2.2 to 2.7 million Californians are at risk for problem gambling. The OPG has established a 1-800-Gambler helpline and is currently running a radio and print advertising campaign to raise awareness of problem gambling. The office received funding this year to provide treatment services.

In June, ADP released its first issue of FOCUS, a quarterly newsletter to provide treatment providers in the state with the latest developments at ADP, and information on alcohol and other drug treatment advances. Finally, ADP is committed to advancing cultural and linguistic competency. Last year, the department launched the Cultural Competency Quality Improvement Project with the goal of improving services and delivering better outcomes for people of different cultures. At the conclusion of the project in September, ADP will have a strategic plan to guide its efforts.

These are just a few of ADP’s priorities this year, but make sure to check our website for more information on the rest of our programs and new developments. www.adp.ca.gov

I look forward to working with you. You have my pledge that the Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs will work to provide the highest quality of care for all Californians.


Signature of Renee Zito

RENÉE ZITO, LMSW, CASAC
Director