In the near future, I intend to introduce legislation providing for transportation arrangements of patients, both voluntarily and involuntarily, released from drug and alcohol treatment facilities.
 
Currently, Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) requires the provider to have a written plan for involuntary discharge or the termination of treatment, but it doesn’t specify the plan has to include transportation details.  Some providers opt to include transportation details, while others do not.
 
Many residents in my district have expressed concerns that individuals have both, voluntarily and involuntarily, left drug and alcohol treatment facilities and have knocked on neighboring residential doors, entered neighboring residential homes without permission, and created overall disruption in the community.  While there is clearly a need to help those suffering from drug and alcohol addiction, we must also ensure that we are doing all we can to protect individuals leaving the facilities, as well as neighbors in residential areas who are home to these facilities.
 
Consequently, my legislation provides that all drug and alcohol treatment facilities must ensure that patients, both voluntarily and involuntarily being discharged, must have transportation in their written plan.  In addition, no patient would be allowed to be released without a staff member of that facility signing off that the patient has transportation and must note the drop-off address.  No patient may be released without transportation.
 
Please join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation.

If you have any questions regarding this legislation, please contact Christine Zubeck in my office at 717-787-6123 or czubeck@pasen.gov.  Thank you for your consideration.