1. The “Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse” is hereby created and shall be a division of the department of mental health. The division shall have the responsibility of insuring that alcohol and drug abuse prevention, evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation services are accessible, wherever possible. The division shall have and exercise supervision of division residential facilities, day programs and specialized services operated by the department and oversight of facilities, programs and services funded by the department.

2. The powers, functions and duties of the division shall include the following:

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(1) Provision of funds for the planning and implementation of accessible programs to alleviate and prevent problems related to alcohol or drug abuse;

(2) Review of each alcohol and drug abuse plans submitted to receive state and federal funds allocated by the department;

(3) Provision of technical assistance and training to community-based programs to assist in planning and implementing quality services;

(4) Assurance of program quality in compliance with such appropriate standards as may be established by the department;

(5) Sponsorship and encouragement of research into the causes, effects, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of alcohol and drug abuse;

(6) Provision of public information relating to alcohol and drug abuse and its prevention, treatment and rehabilitation;

(7) Cooperation with nonstate governmental agencies and the private sector in establishing, conducting, integrating and coordinating alcohol and drug abuse programs and projects;

(8) Cooperation with other state agencies to encourage appropriate health facilities to recognize, without discrimination, persons with alcohol and drug problems who also require medical care and to provide them with adequate and appropriate services;

(9) Encouragement of training for public and private entities and assistance of such entities to recognize employee problems relating to alcohol or drug abuse which affect job performance and to encourage such employees to seek appropriate services;

(10) Participation in the developing and implementing of a statewide plan to prevent and alleviate problems relating to alcohol and drug abuse and to overcome the barriers to their solutions;

(11) Encouragement of coordination of division services with other divisions of the department and other state agencies;

(12) Encouragement of the utilization, support, assistance and dedication of volunteers to persuade persons affected by alcohol or drug abuse to voluntarily seek appropriate services to alleviate such abuse;

(13) Evaluation, or the requirement of the evaluation, including the collection of appropriate and necessary information, of alcohol or drug abuse residential facilities, day programs and specialized services to determine their cost-and-benefit effectiveness;

(14) Participation in developing standards for residential facilities, day programs and specialized services operated or funded by the department for persons affected by alcohol or drug abuse;

(15) Review and oversight of those portions of the department’s annual budget which are directed for alcohol and drug abuse services;

(16) Responsibility for program planning and policies of prevention and treatment services provided directly by the department.