Pennsylvania

IRETA is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Within Pennsylvania, IRETA works closely with the Departments of Health, Welfare, Corrections and Education to coordinate approaches to prevention and treatment of addiction. IRETA also works with providers, provider associations, recovery organizations, and Single County Authorities (SCAs) on projects to improve addiction care in the Commonwealth. IRETA supports policies in Pennsylvania that align with a vision of addiction as a chronic condition often in need of longer term or ongoing care from which recovery is possible.

Key Numbers in Pennsylvania

Workforce
622 D&A providers – 22 sites are co-occurring competent/capable
1,697 outpatient mental health providers
1,400 Certified Associate Addiction Counselor (CAAC) and 550 Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CAADC)

Substance Use
598,000 adult (18+) users of illicit drugs in the past month
2.4 million adult binge users of alcohol in the past month
Nearly 3 million adult users of tobacco in the past month
195,000 adults who meet the criteria for drug dependence or abuse
617,000 adults who meet the criteria for alcohol dependence or abuse
166,000 adults needing treatment but not receiving it for drug use
582,000 adults needing treatment but not receiving it for alcohol use
(Source: the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2007-8)

25.5% of Pennsylvania students report one or more occasions of alcohol use in the past 30 days.
11% of Pennsylvania students have used cigarettes at least once in the past 30 days.
8.1% of Pennsylvania students have used any illicit drug (other than marijuana) at least once in the past 30 days.
5% of Pennsylvania students have used prescription pain relievers at least once in the past 30 days.
(Source: Pennsylvania Youth Survey, 2009)

Pennsylvania Stakeholders

IRETA often partners and interfaces with organizations and public agencies whose focus and mission parallels our own. A selection of key Pennsylvania stakeholders is listed below:

Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs (BDAP)
Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS)
Department of Corrections
Department of Education
Office of Children, Youth and Familes
Pennsylvania Certification Board (PCB)
Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency
Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole
Pennsylvania Community Providers Association
PRO-A

IRETA facilitates the Pennsylvania Drug and Alcohol Coalition, a statewide body that includes representation from many stakeholders, public and private, in the Pennsylvania addiction treatment system.