In the past, when someone was sentenced to substance-use-disorder (SUD) treatment in lieu of jail time in connection with Kansas Senate Bill 123, The Center for Counseling & Consultation wasn’t able to accommodate.
Things have changed.
The Center, 5815 Broadway, recently was approved to provide the service in conjunction with what is called SB 123 Funding, which pays for the treatment.
“The Center has had an SUD license for a couple of years but the guidelines for 123 Funding were in the process of being revised,” said Kevin Ford, director of the SUD program. “We had to go through the state-approval process and have satisfied all the requirements.”
The state entities involved are the Kansas Sentencing Commission and the Kansas Department of Corrections.
“The cool thing is that both of these agencies are great to work with,” Ford said. “They are very accommodating. Their commitment to this program allowed our doors to open for those who are sentenced under SB 123 for court-ordered SUD treatment.
“Unfortunately, we had to turn people away before this. There were people who wanted to come here for their treatment but couldn’t because we didn’t have formal approval. We have it now.”
That approval process included ensuring that supervisors and staff members had the required advanced training.
“This illustrates that our staff wants to expand their education and ensure competence,” Ford noted. “The state needed to know that we can provide evidence-based treatment practices. We have met or exceeded all the requirements.”
A little background
Senate Bill 123 was approved during the 2003 Kansas legislative session and implemented the following year. The goal was to provide SUD treatment to people convicted of non-violent drug offenses, according to the Kansas Sentencing Commission website.
In 2019, SB 123 was broadened to allow some people convicted of a controlled-substance cultivation or distribution offense to qualify for the program. Last year, it was further expanded to allow some people convicted of non-drug, non-person offenses to qualify.
“The overall goal is to give them the opportunity for treatment prior to going to jail or prison,” Ford explained. “Another goal is to give them life skills that can help them avoid jail and become productive members of society. For those who are unsuccessful, incarceration is a real possibility.
“We want the client to be successful,” Ford continued. “If they stay clean and sober, and out of the court system, the client and the community benefit. The client has the chance to lead a productive life and it is cheaper to provide treatment than to house them in jail.”
Kansas Sentencing Commission
Elliott Smith, SB 123 program director at the Kansas Sentencing Commission, noted SB 123 “represents a unique collaboration between the criminal justice system and SUD treatment providers. It is incredibly valuable to all participants and stakeholders.
“SB 123 enhances public safety and public health by offering SUD treatment to people charged with or convicted of certain felonies and diagnosed with SUD, offering them a chance to achieve recovery in the community.”
Smith provided a few statistics from a study. They include:
· The percent reduction in relative odds of a new conviction when successfully completing the SB 123 program is 75 percent.
· SB 123 offenders are 25-30 percent less likely to recidivate than non-SB 123 offenders.
· SB 123 cases had a lower rate of re-conviction (7.7 percent) when compared to non-SB 123 cases (10.6 percent).
· SB 123 offenders were less likely to commit new crimes.
Smith noted that the Recovery from Addiction Funded Treatment (RAFT) diversion program took effect in 2021. This program allows some people charged with drug possession to enter a diversion agreement in lieu of further criminal proceedings.
During fiscal year 2024, SB 123 funded nearly $7 million in SUD assessment and treatment services for more than 1,600 participants.
The Center for Counseling & Consultation, a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, 5815 Broadway in Great Bend, serves Barton, Pawnee, Rice and Stafford counties. Professionally trained personnel offer: individual and group therapy; marriage and family counseling; community-support services; community-based services; psychosocial rehabilitation; peer support; and medication management. The confidential 24/7 crisis hotline number is 800-875-2544.