Below is a list of data sources and reference material we have used to derive our analysis on oversaturation of drug treatment facilities. These facilities are governed by Federal law.
RACIAL DISPARITY IN DRUG TREATMENT AND MAINSTREAM ADDICTION TREATMENT ACT (MAT)
- Legislative initiatives: Racial Equity Initiative – Research Gaps and Opportunities Workgroup | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
- 2020 Mar: Treatment of 30,000 NYC methadone patients in COVID and new mobile methadone delivery pilot –(filtermag.org, Next City, nypost.com)
- 2018: Addiction knows no color but treatment does (NYT)
- Data showing racial disparity in drug treatment (Journalist resource, University of Iowa, Innovation in Aging)
- 2014: research of variation in treatment received by different race and income groups in NYC – (nih.gov , drugfree.org – Founder is from Columbia University)
Lack of buprenorphine access – MAT Act:
- MAT act advocates (endSUD , sponsor by NYS congressman Tonko, Pew Research1, Pew Research2, Pew Research3)
- Buprenorphine research: recoveryanswer.org
BAckground information on opioid epidemic and activism aimed to push back on placement of drug treatment clinics
- 2020 Mar: NYC Bronx Morris Park: A packed townhall meeting pushed back on proposed drug treatment center on Councilman Gjonaj – (cbslocal.com)
- 2019 Nov: Philadelphia: Residents push back on safe injection site– (NPR)
- 2019 Apr: NYC Bronx Knightsbridge pushed back on proposed drug treatment center (The City)
- 2019: Baltimore complaint of oversaturation (Baltimore sun)
- 2018 Sept: Nationwide background info: In 8 years, deaths caused by overdoes doubled. In 2017, opioid related death claimed 49,068 lives, plus cocaine related death claimed 72,306 lives – (nydailynews.com)
- 2018 May: NYC Inwood & others: Mayor planned 4 new safe injection sites in Gowanus, Washington heights, midtown and the Bronx despite witnessing quality of life issues in Canada caused by these sites – (NY Daily News, The Daily Wire)
- 2017: NYC Harlem: 231 bed $25M drug treatment center opened on Wards Island – (nydailynews.com)
- 2017: Orange country in California: Investigated into homelessness caused by California becoming a “hub for rehab” – (ocregister.com)
- 2017: North New Jersey: Neighbors demand to know how ‘rehab’ house opened without notification – (northjersey.com)
- 2011: NYC Financial District: Pushed back on expansion of Maiden Lane Methadone clinic- (DNAinfo)
- 1997: White Plains filed lawsuit (Openjurist.org)
- 1970: RedHook – Methadone clinic divides Red Hook (NYT)
Lawsuits filed against drug treatment clinics
- 1997: new siting – New York City of White Plain.
- 1998: new siting – Baltimore Cantonsville zoning lawsuit.
- 1999: new siting – California Bay Area City of Antioch
2002: new siting – Kentucky MX Group v. City of Covington zoning lawsuit – City of Covington won twice - 2006: there is an attempt to file a class action by methadone patients that health impact of methadone was not properly disclosed to them
- 2007: new siting – Pennsylvania New Directions Treatment Srvs. v. City of Reading (another document) — the ordinance from City of Reading to limit methadone clinic to 500ft away from schools and residential areas seem to still exist. City loss due to infringement of ADA (see reference )
- 2010: malpractice – Alabama: Beasley Allen, Circuit Court of Montgomery, Liquidating Professional Corporation, Civil Litigation | JDJournal
- 2018: new siting – Tennessee Tri-Cities Holdings vs Johnson City In 2015, Johnson City won the case against methadone clinic. Methadone clinic sued 3 times.
- 2019: threats to sue to close an existing site – Virginia: County residents sue to close an existing clinic alleging zoning violation (or another article here) – not sure if they eventually sued
- 2020: new siting – Tennessee : Tri-Cities Holdings vs. Mountain State Health Alliance – an existing methadone clinic is suing a new clinic for fear of competition
- 2021: new siting – Baltimore Westfield zoning lawsuit (Westfield seems to have won, as the ordinance was found to be discriminatory)
Unsuccessful attempts to add zoning restriction or removal of zoning restriction due to ADA violation
- 2004: Chicago: Methadone Clinics Face New Restrictions, 1,000-Foot Buffer From Schools – Downtown – Chicago – DNAinfo (The ordinance did not go through)
- 2007: Pennsylvania state law that restricts methadone clinics from being 500ft from school was struck down : (1) restrict methadone clinics from being 500 ft from schools, (2) the ordinance from City of Reading also include a similar clause. (3) Debois city loss a case against RHJ methadone clinic and have to pay $200K legal fees
- 2018: Everette City from Washington State removed the ordinace that restricts only 1 methadone clinic in the city was removed due to violation of ADA law
Useful background information of how the drug treatment industry is structured and funded AND REGULATED:
- 2020: Lack of drug treatment in rural areas in upstate New York and over concentration in NYC (wisc.edu)
- 2020 Oct: OASAS and Department of Mental Health might merge (ny.gov)
- 2020 Jul: Substance abuse treatment programs warn of ‘dire’ consequences from cuts – (buffalonews.com, poststar.com)
- 2019 April: OASAS revised guidance in recertification to include DCP (Diversion Control Plan) to control resell of dispensed drugs – (OASAS)
- 2019: OASAS certification application process – (SMA form, OASAS increase form, Instructions for the form, waiver form, introduction, actual regulation, accreditation program)
- 2017: Minutes recording OASAS’ process of allocating capacities to Binghamton and the key metrics of AMA (Against Medical Discharge) as key success metrics (gobroomecounty.com)
- Insurers resisted covering drug rehab. Then her son overdosed and died– (Vox)
Useful data sources for research:
- Opioid related data in New York State: East Harlem has the higher rate of overdose death (see the last slide) – (DOH 2018, ny.gov, methadone users, Nymag with 36,000 in 1999)
- List of OASAS certified programs – (on OASAS website, on Excel sheet with capacity from OASAS)
- List of social services locations in East Harlem as part of East Harlem rezoning plan review. See slide 22 – (NYC Environment Impact Assessment FEIS)
- New York State OASAS budget:(OpenBudget.ny.gov)
- Zip code mapped to NYC community – (Zipcode to community map)
- Charting tool to see boundaries of NYC communities and legislative regions -(boundaries mapping tool)
- Community board level health data, such as life expectancy, drug related accidental death – ( NYC Health)
- Ask for Freedom of Information Act FOIL data – (Open FOIL NY)
- NYC open data tool to find mental health services and homeless shelter data. Search for “Mental Health” and “Homeless Shelter”- (NYC Open Data)