Venkat, Flick to introduce legislation to better treat stimulant use disorder
Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus September 30, 2025 | 10:08 AM
HARRISBURG, Sept. 30 – To help target the growing public health concern of stimulant use disorder, which includes cocaine and methamphetamine use, state Reps. Arvind Venkat and Jamie Flick are planning to introduce bipartisan legislation that would provide funding for contingency management, one of the most effective ways to treat the disorder.
Unlike opioid use disorder, there is no FDA-approved medication-assisted treatment for stimulant use disorder. Contingency management is a widely recognized approach to treating stimulant use disorder and involves providing modest, non-cash incentives, such as gift cards and transit or food vouchers, after achieving certain treatment goals, including drug screens and consistent counseling attendance.
“As a physician, I have seen how difficult it can be to recover from stimulant use disorder, and the impacts it has on the body,” said Venkat, D-Allegheny. “I have also seen how contingency management can help that recovery and provide an answer to Pennsylvania’s ongoing addiction concerns.”
"Solutions that make sense, backed by evidence, are clearly needed in this fight against addiction,” said Flick, R-Lycoming/Union. “We know that medication-assisted treatment works with opioid addiction, and studies have shown this same effect with contingency management.”
To help fund contingency management across Pennsylvania, this legislation would establish the Contingency Management Support Grant Program within the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. This would allow single county authorities to apply for grants to design, expand and evaluate contingency management programs. The grants can support staff training, drug-testing supplies, evaluations, non-cash incentives and the systems to track them.
"During my career as the owner of a software development company, I designed software for the health and human services industry. I was immersed in the data collection side but worked closely with single county authorities to build solutions that met their needs,” said Flick. “Now, as a member of the Pennsylvania Opioid Misuse Abuse and Abatement Trust and House Human Services Committee, I continue to see how this can be effective in treatment. When individuals recover, they return to their families and their communities stronger and equipped to contribute."
“Recovery from substance abuse can be a daunting task that feels out of reach for so many. It is time we act to make sure our neighbors know they are not alone in the battle against addiction,” said Venkat. “This grant program will bring money back to communities across Pennsylvania to ensure that our neighbors get the treatment they deserve so they can live long, healthy lives.”
The grant program would require that incentives are tied to objectively verified treatment goals and provide at least three months of continued recovery support after the incentive period ends. The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs would oversee the program’s integrity, reporting and technical assistance.
Venkat and Flick are currently circulating this proposed legislation for co-sponsors. They plan to formally introduce the legislation soon.