2004 News (Archive)
Loss of Lottery Funds Will Result in Reduction in Force at Cabinet Agency
October 15, 2004
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The loss of $1 million in funding will result in the elimination of 16 positions at the South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (DAODAS), Agency Director W. Lee Catoe announced today.
Russian Drug Prevention Chief to Visit DAODAS
April 29, 2004
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Andrey Anatolievich Gerish, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Specialist on Drug Prevention for the Russian Ministry of Education, will begin a tour of South Carolina’s youth treatment programs by meeting with officials of the South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (DAODAS) at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 5, 2004, at the agency’s offices in Columbia.
Loss of Lottery Funds Will Result in Reduction in Force at Cabinet Agency
October 15, 2004
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The loss of $1 million in funding will result in the elimination of 16 positions at the South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (DAODAS), Agency Director W. Lee Catoe announced today.
“We were confronted with almost a million dollars in budget cuts without the restructuring we needed to see efficiencies, and we were then confronted with another million in cuts without the ability to use funds that were appropriated by the General Assembly,” said Catoe. “The unfortunate result of this reality is the necessity to reduce our workforce.”
In the 2004-05 Appropriations Act, roughly $2 million in general funds were cut from the DAODAS operating budget. In the Executive Budget submitted by Gov. Mark Sanford, the DAODAS budget was reduced by roughly $1 million as part of the governor’s proposal to restructure healthcare agencies and better consolidate the delivery of services. Although the General Assembly did not adopt the governor’s restructuring proposals, its final budget did assume close to $1 million in savings from restructuring. An additional $1 million was cut on top of that (also without the benefit of restructuring) to put the total budget reduction for DAODAS at approximately $2 million.
In an attempt to restore some of these funds late last legislative session, the General Assembly appropriated $1 million of the roughly $2 million cut from the DAODAS budget – taking money from the Education Lottery account and applying it to the DAODAS budget with no limitations or restrictions as to how the agency could use those funds.
However, at the beginning of fiscal year 2005 (FY05), when DAODAS officials were matching expenses with funding sources, the ability to use the lottery funds for general operating expenses came into question. On behalf of DAODAS, Gov. Sanford wrote to the Attorney General’s Office asking for an opinion on whether or not the department could use its Education Lottery appropriation for expenses that were unrelated to programs administered by DAODAS in the public schools. In an eight-page opinion, Attorney General Henry McMaster determined that “a court would conclude that the restoration of agency budget cuts to DAODAS (using Education Lottery funds) for its general operating budget is an unconstitutional expenditure pursuant to Art. XVII, § 7 of the South Carolina Constitution.”
From May 2001 through fiscal year 2004, DAODAS had already seen reductions of 55.19% ($5,960,737) from its base budget. With the reductions for FY05 – now compounded by the loss of the $1 million – the department will be compelled to implement a Reduction In Force (RIF) plan, in addition to ongoing efforts to reduce agency costs in the areas of travel, telephone usage and rent.
“I cannot stress strongly enough that all efforts are being made to ensure that the loss of the $1 million will have a minimal impact on service provision at the local level,” Catoe said.
DAODAS is the cabinet agency responsible for ensuring the availability and accessibility of alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse prevention, intervention and treatment services throughout South Carolina.
Russian Drug Prevention Chief to Visit DAODAS
April 29, 2004
Dr. Gerish, a resident of Moscow, is responsible for planning the first clinics to address the rampant problem of substance abuse among youth in Russia. For the Ministry of Education, he has supervised the creation of a network of 24 rehabilitation centers for underage substance abusers throughout the Russian Federation, as well as centers for training educators in prevention measures for combating substance abuse in each district of the Federation.
“South Carolina has long been a leader in the development of innovative and award-winning prevention and treatment programs for young people,” said Governor Mark Sanford. “We are honored that Dr. Gerish has recognized our accomplishments and seen fit to view our programs as potential models for his work in the Russian Federation.”
During his visit to DAODAS, Dr. Gerish will meet with agency director W. Lee Catoe and receive an overview of the state’s alcohol and other drug abuse system, as well as the department’s Bridge program, which provides intensive case management services for adolescents who are preparing to leave inpatient treatment facilities, juvenile justice facilities or other residential settings and return home to their families and communities. Following his visit to DAODAS, Dr. Gerish will travel to the William J. McCord Adolescent Treatment Facility in Orangeburg and the John G. Richards Therapeutic Community at the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice in Columbia.
Dr. Gerish is making his first visit to the United States as a guest of the College of Health, Education and Human Development at Clemson University, where he will be the Distinguished Nancy Moore Thurmond Fellow in Treatment of Substance Abuse.
Representatives of the news media are invited to meet Dr. Gerish during his visit to DAODAS.
WHEN: 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 5, 2004
WHERE: DAODAS Executive Conference Room
101 Business Park Boulevard
Columbia, South Carolina 29203-9498
WHO: Andrey Anatolievich Gerish, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Specialist on Drug Prevention for the Russian Ministry of Education
NOTE TO MEDIA: Dr. Gerish will be accompanied by an interpreter.
DAODAS is the state agency responsible for ensuring the availability and accessibility of alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse prevention, intervention and treatment services throughout South Carolina.