Ayotte Highlights Comprehensive Addiction & Recovery Act At Westbridge in Manchester

Press Release

On Monday, U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte visited WestBridge Community Services, The Center for Integrated Treatment of Co-Occurring Disorders in Manchester to highlight bipartisan legislation she is leading to help address the heroin and prescription opioid abuse crisis, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA). The legislation passed out of the Judiciary Committee with unanimous support last week. Ayotte and Senators Rob Portman (R-OH), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) reintroduced CARA last year.

"I appreciated the opportunity to meet with treatment providers and staff at WestBridge in Manchester, and learn more about their efforts to treat individuals who are living with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. I am also grateful to have had the opportunity to meet with some of their program participants, who provided a valuable perspective about their experience in treatment," said Ayotte. "I am pleased that CARA passed unanimously out of the Judiciary Committee last week and I urge all of my colleagues in the Senate to support this bill, which takes important steps to improve treatment, enhance prevention efforts, ensure law enforcement and first responders have the tools they need, support those in recovery, and develop best prescribing practices for pain management."

Over the past two years, the senators have held five bicameral and bipartisan congressional briefings with stakeholders from the public health field, law enforcement, prevention, treatment, education, and recovery communities to look at ways to better support addiction treatment and recovery. The committee version of the bill also incorporated provisions from other legislation Ayotte is cosponsoring aimed at improving treatment for pregnant and postpartum women and developing best prescribing practices for pain management.

Last month, Senator Ayotte and Manchester Police Chief Nick Willard testified before the Judiciary Committee and urged committee members to pass CARA and send it to the full Senate for consideration.

CARA is supported by over 120 organizations including the National Association of Attorneys General, National District Attorneys Association, the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors, Faces and Voices of Recovery, the National Council for Behavioral Health, and the Major County Sheriffs' Association, among others.

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