Budget plan guts ASAP treatment program

MAT-SU -- At a time when Alaska courts are ordering more people than ever to undergo alcohol counseling for crimes such as driving under the influence, Gov. Frank Murkowski wants to eliminate all general fund support for the Alcohol Safety Action Program which oversees mandated treatment for adult misdemeanor offenders.

That change is included in his proposed state budget for the fiscal year 2005, which begins July 1. The overhaul would force adult ASAP programs to operate on fees from clients.

Those who provide counseling for ASAP clients, including officials at Mat-Su Recovery Center, say it's an unrealistic approach to what is essentially a public safety issue. A 1988 study by the state of Alaska found that 65 percent of those who completed ASAP programs did not commit other alcohol-related offenses within three years, said Shelly Long, executive director of Mat-Su Recovery which administers grants to Mat-Su ASAP.

Mat-Su ASAP already took a severe budget hit in July 2003, Long said, with state funding cut 44 percent from the previous year.

"We responded to that by making some pretty significant cuts in hours for those who staff our program," she said.

The Mat-Su used to have three full-time ASAP employees for adult and juvenile offenders. When the cuts went into effect last summer, two full-time workers were reduced to 32 hours a week and the other was limited to 20 hours per week. As a result, Mat-Su Recovery had to close its doors on Fridays.

As of Thursday, the 20-hour employee had been given two-weeks' notice. That leaves Mat-Su ASAP Administrator Susan Draveling and one other employee, both working 32-hour weeks, as the agency's sole staff members in the Valley.

Financial woes also are forcing Mat-Su ASAP to move out of its offices next to the Palmer courthouse, a site prized for its access to courts and records. "We are already in the hole for this year," Draveling said.

Meanwhile, referrals to the local ASAP program continue to increase. The Palmer office has 11,000 total client files, although some are now closed. A total of 700 new cases were filed in the Valley last fiscal year, and Long said they were on pace for slightly more than 800 new cases after six months of the current fiscal year.

Before the cuts, it took new clients about five days to get an appointment with ASAP for screening and referral, Long said. Now it takes a month.

"Many of these folks are still out driving on the roads," she said. "It creates a safety issue for folks."

Once people are in treatment, ASAP plays a key role in making sure they don't skip out on court requirements.

"We screen clients and tell them what ASAP does, what will happen from here," said Draveling. "Then we assign them to a treatment agency, they go there and follow through with whatever the recommendations are. If they don't complete it, we report that to the court."

Long knows what to expect if funding for adult ASAP is discontinued. She's already seen it happen in the Kenai division, which lost all state funding at the start of fiscal 2004.

"When news hit the streets that ASAP was no longer operating in the peninsula, the treatment no-show rates immediately skyrocketed," Long said. "To me, that shows why this monitoring is so critical. If they're not held accountable, many of them will disappear."

Draveling asked who would provide watchdog duties, if not ASAP. She noted that police agencies and the Palmer District Attorney's Office already are understaffed for the jobs they are charged with doing.

The governor's budget suggestion to change the ASAP system comes just months after Alaska State Troopers added a new four-person team specifically assigned to patrol for DUI offenders. The unit operates out of the Palmer office, but also is available for patrol duty in other locations around the state.

Draveling said the team quickly made an impact in the Mat-Su after beginning the special patrols.

"Our numbers went up immediately," Draveling said. "They're doing their job."

A report on the proposed state budget for the Department of Health and Social Services explains the governor's goal regarding ASAP.

"The Adult Safety Action Program needs a complete overhaul and review to ensure that clients are held accountable, that equity exists in caseloads, and that the program is self-supporting," the document says.

Long said it's unrealistic to think the program can support itself in a matter of months to meet Murkowski's funding deadline. She added the Mat-Su ASAP office tries to make clients pay for services, but often it's just not possible.

"The staff has been very frugal in terms of managing money but it only goes so far when you have a client base most of whom are indigent or low income," Long said. "We are making every effort to collect fees they owe but you can't get blood from a turnip."

The ASAP programs statewide received $1,638,300 during fiscal 2003 and $1,175,600 the following fiscal year. Murkowski's budget would provide a total of $294,600 beginning in July to operate the juvenile program.

"The intent is to eliminate any grant dollars to adult ASAP," Long said.

She could not estimate how the program might continue operating if the Legislature adopts Murkowski's recommendation. Budget woes are so severe now at the Mat-Su division that staff members are "very concerned" they may run out of money even before July 1, Long said.

Ron Taylor, director of the Alaska ASAP office, said 12 full-time employees would lose their jobs in the Anchorage office if the governor's budget is adopted.

"Everybody will be impacted in terms of the adult system," he said.