During the 2021 legislative session, the Legislature passed SB 5476 in response to the Blake decision. A piece of that legislation
included forming the Substance Use Recovery Services Advisory (SURSA) Committee made up of numerous stakeholders including individuals with lived experience, legislative
representation, and local and national experts.
The Committee is tasked with providing guidance and oversight in the development of a substance use recovery services plan as it relates to the elements and goals in the legislation. The Committee will also make recommendations on engaging individuals
with a substance use disorder across the various points of intersection with the health care, behavioral health, criminal, civil legal, and child welfare systems. Committee members will also identify new community-based care access points, determine
current regional capacity for substance use disorder treatment, and address barriers to accessing the existing behavioral health system and recovery support services.
The SURSA Committee will meet through the end of 2022 with the next meeting scheduled for Monday, August 1 from 9 to 11 am. Links to meeting agendas, recordings, and notes are available on the Health Care Authority’s website.
Cities have representation on the SURSA Committee. We appreciate Councilmember Kevin Ballard from the City of DuPont for serving in this role.