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What are the goals of the Summit? First and foremost, a Summit is designed to convene a wide array of professionals, community members, and youth to recommend improvements to the state’s drug and alcohol laws and policies, using NAMSDL's model state drug laws and related state statutes as a menu of options. These recommendations may also include coordination of services, funding, new programs, application of existing resources, and any other proposals that Summit participants generate during the two-day event. Additionally, Summits frequently serve as catalysts for new innovative and multidisciplinary partnerships by bringing a variety of disciplines together. These collaborations often lead to the more economical use of existing state resources. Who will participate in the Summit? NAMSDL works with its partners in a state to ensure that a wide variety of individuals participate the Summit. Elected officials, law enforcement, addiction treatment professionals, youth, coalition members, business leaders, prosecutors, state agency administrators, judges, faculty and staff from institutions of higher education, past recipients of alcohol and other drugs services, educators, corrections staff, prevention specialists, and college/university students are among the array of people NAMSDL engages in the Summit process. Participants come to the issue of drugs and alcohol from a variety of perspectives, including policy-making, management, case work, providing addiction treatment, receiving services, teaching and volunteering.
Summits are not traditional conferences or workshops. Using NAMSDL's model state drug laws and related state statutes as a menu of options to consider, participants actively engage in facilitated discussions regarding drug and alcohol policies, state statutes, programs, treatment services, enforcement practices, educational efforts, prevention initiatives, and other specific aspects of addressing drugs and alcohol in their state. Each Summit participant is assigned to a working group focused on a specific issue area related to drugs and alcohol. To the extent possible, the composition of each working group will reflect a variety of professions, experiences, and approaches to addressing drug and alcohol issues. While NAMSDL tries to accommodate everyone’s first preference for their working group, we may assign you to your second or third choice in an effort to achieve this diversity of perspectives in each group. NAMSDL's team of facilitators and resource people guide working group participants through a five-step facilitated process, including an overview of the relevant model drug laws and related state statutes, that leads to a set of recommendations from each group. The five steps are
Why are the work group facilitators and resource people from out of state? Because they are not directly involved in your state’s current efforts to address drug and alcohol problems, NAMSDL facilitators and resource people can serve as objective sounding boards and recorders for your ideas, questions, and honest assessments of existing laws, policies, and programs. NAMSDL hopes that these “outside” discussion leaders will create safe environments that allow each working group to think critically, debate, strategize, and plan. In addition to being objective facilitators and resources, NAMSDL team members often bring the most current national information and updates on other states’ efforts on the issue areas presented. By utilizing this team’s knowledge and expertise, Summit participants often save their own time in researching and make more informed decisions based on working group discussions.
What happens after the Summit? NAMSDL will compile all of the participant recommendations into a report and distribute it to the state’s elected officials, its Congressional delegation, state agency leaders, and all Summit participants to serve as a blueprint for moving forward. Additionally, states should designate individuals, agencies, or coordinating council to oversee the state’s follow-up on the recommendations. NAMSDL will also keep your state apprised of our efforts in other states and at the national level that relate to the goals of your state’s efforts.
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