Substance abuse programs and Proposition 13: opportunities for change

Responding to the impact of Proposition 13 has become a central concern of several substance abuse programs in California. A discussion of various approaches to the problem of current and anticipated reductions in public finding is presented. Three basic approaches are considered: reducing costs of services, improving program effectiveness, and diversification of the funding base. A greater emphasis on management effectiveness among staff and a shift in policy toward increased early intervention services are suggested as germane to all three approaches.