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Money Woes Dominate 2009 Fears, Hopes; Silver Lining for Strong Private Providers Parity, Economy Topped 2008 News Items Campaign Sets Goal of Serving 1 Million New Clients New Brain Research Could Help Develop Maintenance Drugs Briefly Noted State Watch Resources Coming up     

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New Welfare Regulations May Force States to Cut Treatment for Women with Children New Codes Could Encourage More Screening and Brief Intervention Betty Ford Institute Will Support Research, Policy Development Court Blocks Enforcement of Law to Alter Prop. 36 A Film Series About Addiction and Recovery Marks Recovery Month Events Treatment Centers Join with Congressmen to Demand Parity Briefly Noted Obituary Coming Up     

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Brain Scan Study Shows Cocaine Addicts Can Resist Craving Canada Study of DWI Offenders Could Turn Notion of Resistance on its Ear Consumption‐Based Alcohol Screens May Not Detect Dependence UNCOPE Screen New York Offers Free Tuition and Training in Addictions Field Study: Older Alcoholics Drink More than Younger Alcoholics California Health Professionals in Recovery Under New Scrutiny Briefly Noted State News Resources Call for Presentations Names in the News Coming up     

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Training Your Patients to Become Advocates for Themselves and for Systems Change New York Provider Agencies Could Seek Revisions to Landmark Smoking Ban Methadone and Advocacy Ondansetron Under Study to Treat Binge Drinking in 18‐25 Year Olds OxyContin Settlement Money a Battle Ground in West Virginia AG Race Useful Websites for Voters Briefly Noted State Watch Resources Coming up     

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States Hope to Make Money With Gambling Expansion, But at What Cost? Center Sees Role for Residential, But Drives to Diversify TC Base ‘Residential’ is a Misnomer That Could Hurt Parity/ACA Gains ASAM Issues New Definition of Addiction How DEA Monitors Buprenorphine Prescribing and Dispensing Briefly Noted Business News Coming up     

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Treating Inhalant Abuse by Prevention and Raising Parental Awareness New NREPP Will Be Decision Tool Treatment Approaches Girls Age 12–17 More Likely Than Boys to Initiate Alcohol, Marijuana, or Cigarette Use Online Advice on Problem Drinking Could Fulfill Unmet Need CRC: Online Treatment Service Making Steady Progress Priority Addiction Programs for States Set to Lose $1.3 Billion Since 2004 Briefly Noted Resources Call for Participation Names in the News Coming Up     

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Kentucky Gives Grants to Reduce Parental Addiction and Cut Down on Foster Care New Study Shows Alcoholics' Memory Problems May Have Complex Etiology Tip Sheet on Substance Abuse for Kentucky Child Welfare Caseworkers Maine Conferences Could Fuel Initiatives to Stem Rx Abuse University Intervention for Problem Use Based on EAP Model Areas of the Brain Vulnerable to Damage by Alcohol Briefly Noted Resources Research Education Coming Up     

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Methadone Mortality Summit Shifts Focus From OTPs to Pain Prescribing Lack of Cash Could Persuade California Counties to Tax Marijuana SAMHSA Says It Won't Change Confidentiality Regulations Congress to SAMHSA: Use Drug Court Money for Treatment Briefly Noted Business Names in the News Coming up     

Aiding the Aid Debate

Book reviewed in this article: Democratizing Development: The Role of Voluntary Organizations. By John Clark When Aid is No Help: How Projects Fail and How They Could Succeed. By John Madeley et al     

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Battle Lines Drawn Over Patient Confidentiality Issues Oklahoma Counselors Could Gain Delay in Loss of Payment for Therapy Services Technology and Consent Can Coexist How to Cooperate With 2010 Census and Preserve Confidentiality Combined Deductible Benefits Patients AATOD Calls for OTPs to Report Patient Deaths Briefly Noted State News Call for Applications Coming up     

When good Cdk5 turns bad

The cyclin-dependent kinase-5 (Cdk5) is critical to normal mammalian development and has been implicated in synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory in the adult brain. But Cdk-5 activity has also been linked to neurodegenerative diseases. Could a single protein have opposing effects? A new study shows that production of a neuronal protein capable of regulating Cdk-5 activity can turn Cdk-5 from "good" to "bad." The findings may have implications for the development and treatment of conditions like Alzheimer's disease.     

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Prison‐Based Treatment Program Reduces Recidivism NIAAA Survey Finds That Many Recover From Alcoholism Alcohol Counseling in ER Could Save Hospitals $2 Billion Annually Report Finds Increase in Methamphetamine‐Related Admissions A ‘StoryCorps’ interview with NCADD President Stacia Murphy Resources Names in the News Briefly Noted Coming Up     

Does meeting standards affect charitable giving? An empirical study of New York metropolitan area charities

Charitable donations constitute a significant revenue source for many nonprofit organizations. To help donors decide which nonprofits to support, watchdog organizations such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance have developed standards to promote wise giving. The effectiveness of these guides in channeling limited resources to the best‐managed nonprofits is not widely studied. This research attempts to empirically investigate the effects of standards on public giving, controlling for factors that have documented effects on donations. Specifically, it regresses public support on the extent to which local nonprofits meet the standards of the Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York, Mid‐Hudson and Long Island Regions, controlling for organization size, board size, service category, government funding, fundraising expense, and giving price. The study found that BBB standards have a positive effect on giving behavior. Meeting BBB standards is associated with higher levels of public support. Participating in assessment programs and striving to meet the standards are recommended for nonprofits seeking to improve funding through charitable contributions. Further study that extends the search for the mechanism that links meeting standards to improved donations is recommended.     

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How Addiction Providers Can Treat Co‐Occurring SPMI Could Discussion at NAADAC Conference Eventually Yield a Standard Credential? Leaving the Past Behind, Alaska Increases Treatment Funding Again ‘Phantom Money’ in Ohio Budget Means Millions Lost to Providers Court Rulings Open Door to Lowering the Drinking Age in South Carolina NIH‐VA to Offer Grants to Study Substance Abuse in the Military Briefly Noted State News Call for Applications Coming up     

It takes a team: Improving placement stability among children and youth with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in care in Canada

Concerted efforts have been devoted to improving placement stability for children in care. These efforts have been driven by evidence of negative outcomes for foster children who experience frequent placement changes. Of particular concern are significantly higher rates of placement disruptions among children in care who experience Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). This mixed methods study examines the impact of enhanced child welfare practice interventions on placement stability for 182 children in care who experience FASD. A quasi-experimental matched comparison group design was employed, where rates of placement change were compared between children in the Project Regions who received enhanced practice standards to those in the Comparison Regions who did not. The sample included 182 participants including 98 children and youth in care from the Project Region and 84 cases from the Comparison Region. The Project Regions reported considerably lower placement changes (M = .33) than the Comparison Region (M = .98). Logistic regression analysis revealed that worker contact was found to be predictive of placement stability. Specifically, as worker contact increased, the likelihood of placement change decreased [B = − .28, W (5.35, p = .02)]. In keeping with the adage that it takes a village to raise a child, one could add for children affected by FASD, that it takes a dedicated team to promote placement stability and better life trajectories.     

Book Reviews

Books reviewed in this issue. The UN and Development: From Aid to Co‐operation. By Olav Stokke. The Trouble with Aid: Why Less Could Mean More for Africa. By Jonathan Glennie. How the Aid Industry Works: An Introduction to International Development. By Arjan de Haan.     

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SAMHSA Pushes SBI to Address Baby‐Boomer Drug Use Prosecutor Leadership, Coordination Contribute to S.D. Reentry Strides Drug Could Increase Drinking but Reduce Other Problems NIAAA's Drug Development Goes Beyond Alcohol Problems ADAW Wins Journalism Awards for Parity and State Budget Watch Stories Illinois Treatment Providers Have Backlog of Unpaid Claims Congratulations! Briefly Noted State News Call for Applications Coming up