The MATPAC Statement of Principles is given below. This statement forms the basis of our approach to the treatment component to the addiction crisis and recommends public policy goals to help improve the availability of treatment resources. If you agree with these ideas, please use the button at the bottom of this page to sign the Statement of Principles and share this page with others so that they too may sign. The State of Maryland is in the midst of an addiction crisis of epic proportions, in particular as to heroin and opioid[1] addiction. One significant consequence of this crisis is that the demand for treatment services dwarfs the available, affordable treatment provider resources. Given this reality, the state of Maryland needs to adopt public policies that will expand the pool of treatment providers and increase access to services across the state, in particular sorely needed residential treatment resources, to meet the current and future need. While many consider addiction to be a physical disease, many others consider addiction to be a behavioral, emotional and/or spiritual malady. We believe there are many pathways to recovery and that a “one size fits all” approach to treatment is not a workable one. It is our position that individuals seeking treatment for addiction have a right to choose the treatment approach they and their families feel will best suit their needs. This right to choose a treatment provider includes the right to choose providers that use abstinence-based, faith-based, spiritual, holistic, drug-free and other similar treatment models. Likewise, it includes the right to choose the Medication-Assisted Treatment approach and similar models. In order to fully respond to the addiction crisis, Maryland needs an “all hands on deck” approach. We need policies, laws, regulations and funding designed to rapidly increase the quantity and availability of treatment options, with an emphasis on residential treatment beds and long-term residential treatment providers as these are in short supply. To this end, we support changes to Maryland policies, laws and regulations designed to create an addiction treatment ecosystem[2] where providers across all levels of care can thrive. We also support a regulatory environment that encourages an increase in programs and services available for addicts and their families. We recommend changes in provider licensing requirements to make it easier and more affordable for treatment providers at all levels of care to operate and provide services in Maryland, without compromising consumer safety. We oppose policy, law and regulatory changes the effect of which would be to decrease the number of treatment providers or act to restrict access to certain providers. We urge that the current emphasis on the Medication-Assisted Treatment approach not be implemented in such a way as to reduce the number of treatment providers and treatment beds in the state or to eliminate certain types of providers. We support an increase in funding support for treatment programs and recovery support services so that all who need treatment and support services may get them, regardless of what treatment model their chosen provider uses. By implementing the right public policies—ones designed to create an increase in treatment providers and resources for those who need them—we can begin to overcome our addiction crisis. [1] The terms ‘opioid’ and ‘opiate’ are often confused. Opioids are substances that act on the body to produce morphine-like narcotics effects. Opioids include opiates, an older term that refers to drugs derived from opium, including morphine. [ for more click here ] [2] A complex network or interconnected system.
