Providers tell task force staffing, insurance and youth gaps slow DUI treatment completion

At a meeting of the DUI Prevention Task Force, Brandywine Counseling’s presenter, Lynn Morrison, described provider constraints that delay treatment entry and reduce the likelihood of sustained clinical recovery for many participants.

Morrison said Brandywine tracked nearly 1,000 participants in 2023 and that the majority now enter the treatment pathway rather than education-only tracks. "Most of the programs do not offer any financial assistance," she said, noting that some participants complete required treatment hours but remain clinically unresolved; providers may hold completion certificates until outstanding payment is settled, which can delay DMV reinstatement.

Task force members asked whether Veterans Treatment Court graduation and other program equivalencies produce inconsistent clinical results. Morrison said the provider creates individualized treatment plans and that the DUI court program offers substantially more wraparound services than standard statutory programs. DSAM acknowledged historically inconsistent equivalency reviews and said House Bill 349 created statutory equivalency for Veterans Treatment Court graduation but that the division no longer individually vets each graduation for equivalency.

Members and providers discussed insurance challenges, including denials when treatment is court-ordered, and DSAM said regulatory revisions under development may clarify medical necessity for insurers and reduce denials. Providers and members also identified staffing shortages (for example, a shortage of licensed clinical social workers) and Spanish-language capacity gaps that slow enrollments in counties with higher needs.

Why it matters: Provider capacity, payment denials and the absence of funded assistance impede timely treatment completion and license reinstatement, potentially increasing recidivism risk. The task force asked members to gather data on plea-down practices and to monitor whether regulatory changes improve insurance coverage.

What’s next: The task force will request additional data from courts and providers about plea-down frequencies and insurance denials, and members will prepare topic proposals for the next meeting covering financing, youth programs and provider workforce development.