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Ethics is Never Over: Balanced and Effective Local Regulation

The past decade has seen an unprecedented increase in SUD, and OUD. Increased demand for treatment, along with the enhanced benefits of the Affordable Care Act, have opened the door to fraud and abuse in marketing, treatment and recovery housing industries. False marketing, patient brokering, and corrupt recovery housing has driven legitimate providers out of business, while patient health, safety and recovery has suffered. This presentation will expose the corruption of bad actors, while offering concrete steps government and industry can take to enhance ethics and protect legitimate providers and their vulnerable patients.

Session Time: 
Thursday, December 9, 2021 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm
Session Category: 
Ethics
Session Type: 
Workshop
Learning Objectives: 
• Identify illegal and unethical practices in the marketing, treatment and recovery housing industries
• Show how government and industry stakeholders can create and support appropriate local/state administrative and legislative initiatives to combat fraud and abuse and to support an ethical and level playing field
Presenter
Presenter Name: 
Dave Aronberg
Job Title: 
State Attorney
Organization Affiliation: 
Office of the State Attorney, Palm Beach County, Florida
Credentials: 
JD
Dave Aronberg has been the State Attorney for the 15th Judicial Circuit since 2012. Dave is a former Assistant Attorney General, White House Fellow and Florida Senator. In 2010, as Florida’s “Drug Czar,” he led an anti-pill mill initiative that targeted the pain clinic industry and reduced the record number of people dying each day from oxycodone abuse. In July 2016, he created a Sober Homes Task Force that has made 120 arrests for patient brokering and insurance fraud in the rehab industry and has led to new Florida laws and regulations that have become the model for other states.
Co-Presenter
Co Presenter: 
Al Johnson
Job Title: 
Chief Assistant State Attorney
Organization Affiliation: 
Office of the State Attorney, Palm Beach County, Florida
Credentials: 
JD
Alan S. Johnson is the Chief Assistant State Attorney for the 15th Judicial Circuit, Palm Beach County, Florida, and was also Executive Director of the Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics. In 2016, Mr. Johnson led the State Attorney’s Sober Homes Task Force (SHTF), to address fraud and abuse in the treatment and sober homes industries. SHTF has investigated and filed 120 cases for violating Florida’s healthcare fraud and patient brokering laws, with 91 convictions to date. Mr. Johnson graduated from Columbia University in 1973 and obtained his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1976.
Co-Presenter
Co Presenter: 
Peter Thomas
Job Title: 
Director of Quality Assurance
Organization Affiliation: 
NAATP
Peter Thomas is the Director of Quality Assurance for NAATP. He brings six years’ experience working in addiction treatment including roles in executive leadership and worked as the COO for Chapter 5 Counseling Center. Peter has dedicated much of his time to working with regulators to enhance access to quality behavioral healthcare. He served as President for the Northern Arizona Recovery Association and co-founded the Arizona Addiction Advocacy Coalition. Through these roles Peter assisted in drafting and passage of state legislation protecting consumers while also enhancing the efficacy and reputation of providers.
Moderator
Moderators: 
Scott Munson
Job Title: 
Executive Director
Organization Affiliation: 
Sundown M Ranch
Scott Munson is the Executive Director of Sundown M Ranch in Yakima WA. Scott has over 36 years’ experience in substance use disorder services as both a clinician and an administrator. In addition to his work at Sundown, Scott serves on numerous local, state and national boards and commissions. He is a past Chair for the NAATP Board of Directors and is the current Chair of the NAATP Ethics Committee and is the immediate past president of the Washington State SUD providers association, The Addiction Treatment Programs of Washington State (AAP).
Year: 
2021