NIATx E-News

Courses on Enrollment and Eligibility, Contract Negotiations, and HIT now available

Alcohol free weekend: April 5-7, 2013

Join us in sunny San Diego for the 2013 NIATx Summit and SAAS National Conference!

As a research analyst for the County of Los Angeles Public Health Department’s Substance Abuse Prevention Control, Mandi Bane does research and program design and implementation. The best part of her job? “The end goal of helping people get into treatment and recovery services,” says Mandi. 

In Wisconsin, the STAR-SI project was so well received that the state Department of Health Services has funded it continuously since 2010.

Free webinar on hospital-treatment provider collaboration

If getting ready for healthcare reform is on your list of New Year’s resolutions for 2013, BHBusiness: Mastering Essential Business Operations will help you stick with your goal.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment has awarded NIATx a five-year grant to serve as the ATTC Network Coordinating Office in partnership with the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC).

Thanks to all who posted, liked, and shared on the NIATx and Signal BHN Recovery Month Facebook Contest page! 

This month marks the anniversary of the Wellstone and Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act  (MHPAEA) Mental, signed into law on October 3, 2008. Behavioral health care providers welcomed this legislation. Group health plans that cover mental illness and substance use disorders must now provide those benefits at the same level as medical and surgical benefits. 

During National Recovery Month (September 2012), NIATx and Signal Behavioral Health Network of Colorado salute the treatment providers across the country who promote the message that treatment works and recovery is possible. 

One NIATx tool that CAP has come to rely on is the Nominal Group Technique. NIATx change teams use this tool to promote group participation in decision-making.

Opioid addiction has become a public health crisis in Ohio, where deaths due to accidental opioid overdoses has increased by 304 percent in the last decade. NIATx has recieved a five-year grant from NIDA to study the impact of payer and provider strategies on implementing buprenorphine in Ohio.

Partnering on change projects with other organizations that serve the same population, Kentucky River Community Care is taking  NIATx to the next level.

2012 SAAS National Conference and NIATx Summit workshop shares ways to reduce readmissions to high-cost services

Wondering what to do first to get ready for healthcare reform?  Take the NIATx Health Reform Readiness Index.

This year's conference is just a few short weeks away, and we're very excited about our lineup of speakers, workshops, and networking events.

Providers in the NIATx Fee-for-Service Learning Collaborative are learning to create and improve their billing systems and negotiate contracts with third-party payers.

Thirty-one organizations representing 16 states are participating in the NIATx Partnering with New Payers Initiative. 

Join us in New Orleans June 19-22 for this year’s SAAS National Conference and NIATx Summit.

Twenty providers from 12 states are participating in the second round of the NIATx Opioid Treatment Provider Process Improvement Learning Collaborative. The promising practices that emerged from the first round are helping this group of providers reduce time to first medication dose and increase retention in treatment.

In our latest publication, The NIATx Model: Process Improvement for Behavioral Health, Dave Gustafson teams with Kim Johnson to offer an overview of the easy-to-implement approach to improving your services and your organization’s bottom line—at the same time.

Vincent J. had the choice between incarceration or substance abuse treatment offered by the Ayer Concord Drug Court Program (ACDCP). He chose treatment.  Today, after completing the program, Vincent says, he’s “in a better place in my life than I have been for the past 32 years.” He recently began a new full-time peer support position at Advocates, Inc., —the treatment agency that provides the clinical services of the ACDCP.

NIATx is working with its partner initiative, the Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System (CHESS©) to help addiction treatment organizations adopt and implement health information technology. 

CSAT, through a contract with JBS International, Inc., is looking for information to assess the spread and diffusion of NIATx beyond formally sponsored and funded NIATx projects.

In a new NIATx project, the Medication Research Partnership, 12 addiction treatment centers in Pennsylvania and Aetna Behavioral Health will use the AR systems change model to increase the number of patients receiving medication-assisted treatment for alcohol or opioid dependence.

NIATx staff presented on October 4 at the Addiction Health Services Research Conference 2011: Service Integration:  From Client to Organization to Funding Agencies held at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA.

Read how this organization used rapid-cycle testing to reduce waiting time.

NIATx has launched an initiative to help substance abuse treatment providers gain research skills and knowledge and adopt evidence-based practices. With funding from NIDA, this project, titled Building a Sustainable National Infrastructure for Research and Dissemination of Improved Behavioral Health Treatment Practices will create an Internet-based network for research on and the spread of the practices that science has proven to be most effective in treating people with substance use disorders.

Haynes, Assistant Director of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) attended the 2011 NIATx Summit/SAAS National Conference as a 2011 iAWARD Winner. HHC’s entry, the 2010 Blue Book, won an iAWARD in the Management Category.

Gail Raney serves as Assistant Director/CQI Coordinator for the Prairie Center, a substance abuse treatment center with three sites serving 5,000 people each year in central Illinois.

Or play the spoons, bring your star power to National Advocacy Campaign Open Mic Night and Fundraising Event at the NIATx Summit/SAAS Annual Conference in Boston, Tuesday, July 12, from 6–9 p.m.

This year’s NIATx Summit and SAAS national conference marks the official end of the ACTION Campaign, and we’ve planned something unique to celebrate everything you’ve done to help make it a success.

MECCA Services was among the first organizations to adopt the NIATx model, as a grantee in the Paths to Recovery Program. Since then, process improvement has become part of MECCA’s culture. The agency participated in the NIATx-SI Business Practices for the Future Learning Collaborative, which focused on working with third-party payers.

NIATx may be coming to where you are! NIATx researchers will be presenting at a variety of conferences in the coming months. Members of our educational services team will also be presenting at NIATx Change Leader Academies.

As a grantee for two NIATx initiatives, the state of Florida became a laboratory for rapid-cycle process improvement. Florida participated in the CSAT-funded Strengthening Treatment Access and Retention-State Implementation (STAR-SI) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded Advancing Recovery: State and Provider Partnerships for Quality Addiction Care (2006–2010). Both initiatives applied NIATx techniques to achieve project goals.

Funded by SAMHSA, the mission of this collaborative is to provide cross-cutting, high quality training, educational opportunities, and resources for service providers to implement efficient and cost effective business solutions.

Palladia/Project Samaritan partnership yields valuable lessons

In October 2010, NIATx and the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) launched a learning collaborative focused on helping Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) integrate substance abuse and primary care.

Smartphones make phone calls, play music, take pictures, and keep track of your appointments. Now, researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are investigating ways smartphone applications can help people deal with a chronic illness like addiction.

Spectrum Programs, Inc. (SPI) and Miami Behavioral Health Center provide community mental health, substance abuse treatment, and prevention services throughout Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.

For Ron Gowins, Substance Use Disorders Services Team Leader at Denver Health, Behavioral Health Services, attending the NIATx Change Leader Academy in April 2010 was truly a valuable experience.

The Open Society Foundation has awarded NIATx a two-year $400,000 grant to prepare the addiction field for changes expected due to health care reform, parity legislation, state budget shortfalls, and the increased focus on performance accountability.

The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) and NIATx are partnering on a learning collaborative to give community health centers and their substance abuse treatment organization partners the tools and technical assistance they need to integrate substance abuse treatment services into their operations.

The NIATx Process Mapping project studied the flow of data in eight substance abuse treatment agencies for three processes: admission, discharge, and transfer between levels of care.

NIATx training for the second cycle of community-based organizations from the East Central region of Puerto Rico attracted a full house on September 30 in Caguas, Puerto Rico.

The NIATx-SI Business Practices for the Future Learning Collaborative is ready to launch with a kick-off meeting in October.

Participants in the NIATx Opioid Treatment Program will be holding their closeout session at this year's AATOD National Conference held October 23-27 in Chicago.  Participants will share their results from applying NIATx process improvement methods in their agencies. 

The NIATx Puerto Rico participant Corporation SANOS in Caguas learned a surprising lesson in its recorrido (walk-through): lack of a sign identifying the agency was a barrier for new clients.

Dennis Grantham, Senior Editor with Behavioral Healthcare, posted an article summarizing the Federal Leadership Panel at this year's NIATx Summit.

Enter the ACTION Campaign II Promising Practices Story Contest, and you could win an all-expense paid trip to the 2010 SAAS National Conference/NIATx Summit.

The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) has a vision to provide "welcoming, affordable and easy access to person-centered addiction services for all." To help make that vision become reality, OASAS launched their new 100 Walkthroughs in 100 Days Campaign on December 1, 2009.

The NIATx model of process improvement is expanding not only to other areas of behavioral health—most notably, mental health—but also to another language and culture in Puerto Rico.

2009 has been an exciting year for NIATx, marking the conclusion of several innovative programs and the beginning of new ones.

The response to the NIATx Accelerating Reform Initiative Request for Proposals exceeded our expectations, attracting many high quality submissions from across the country.

The Massachusetts NIATx 200 participants gathered on October 16, 2009 to both celebrate their success in the project and to continue to learning about process improvement. More than 50 people from some 20 treatment provider sites attended the daylong event held at the Beechwood Inn in Worcester.

Our second national campaign is off to an amazing start! Participation in our twice-monthly webinars increases with each presentation, and we're glad that the Campaign is reaching so many more organizations.

Assessment & Treatment Alternatives (ATA) is a non-profit forensic mental health clinic based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Implementing NIATx recommended changes not only resulted in improved show rates but has led to an estimated increase in annual revenue in excess of $100,000.

Dave Gustafson, Director of NIATx, invites you to join ACTION Campaign II, Financial Strength in a Changing World.

NIATx is pleased to announce a new, cost-effective training offering! Learn leadership skills, tips and tricks from leadership expert Chris Hinrichs of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Executive Education.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has awarded $2.2 million in grants to six state-provider partnerships through Advancing Recovery: State/Provider Partnerships for Quality Addiction Care, the foundation's initiative to improve the quality of alcohol and drug addiction treatment in the United States by promoting the use of evidence-based practices.

The ACTION Campaign is short for Adopting Changes To Improve Outcomes Now — promotes the national adoption of proven practices for enhancing client access to care and their overall engagement in treatment. The campaign focuses on the adoption of one of three goals:

A new $11 million initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is working to improve treatment systems for addiction recovery patients. Co-directed by Research Professor David Gustafson, Advancing Recovery: State and Provider Partnerships for Quality Addiction Care seeks to implement evidence-based practices in addiction treatment through partnerships between state agencies and treatment providers around the country.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) today announced the award of seven cooperative agreements totaling $6.7 million over 3 years under the Strengthening Treatment Access and Retention – State Implementation (STAR-SI) program to help states identify and implement methods to enhance individual access to and retention in community-based outpatient substance abuse treatment programs.  The grants were announced during the presentation by H. Westley Clark, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., Director of  SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, during the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) Annual Conference in Burbank, California. 

Dr. David Gustafson, director of the Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment (NIATx), will present on connections between addiction and mental health at the 21st Annual Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy in Atlanta on November 3, 2005.

Stanley Street Treatment and Resources, Inc. (SSTAR) announced today that the nonprofit health care and social service agency has been selected with 12 other treatment sites to participate in a project of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through its Paths to Recovery national program. The project is part a unique learning collaborative designed to improve access and retention in substance abuse treatment.

Cornerstone Counseling Center has been selected along with 12 other treatment sites throughout the United States to participate in a national program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Paths to Recovery, a national program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) announced today that 13 community-based addiction treatment organizations have received funding to participate in a unique "learning collaborative" to improve access to and retention in addiction treatment.

Gateway to Prevention and Recovery, a not-for-profit addiction recovery program in Shawnee which offers outpatient and intensive outpatient treatment services in Pottawatomie and surrounding counties, has received a grant from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) through its Paths to Recovery national program.

The Center for Drug-Free Living, Inc. was awarded $3,343,000 in Federal grant funds to develop six new programs.

The Axis I Center of Barnwell has been chosen as one of 10 substance abuse treatment sites in the nation - and the only Southeastern program - to participate in Paths to Recovery, a national program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Paths to Recovery, a national program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) announced today that Kentucky River Community Care, Inc. (KRCC) is one of 10 substance abuse treatment sites selected to receive funding and participate in a unique learning collaborative which will address organizational barriers to substance abuse treatment.

Jackie Nitschke Center has been chosen as one of ten substance abuse treatment sites to participate in a national program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The project, called Paths To Recovery, is a unique learning collaborative which will address the organizational barriers to substance abuse treatment.

St. Christopher's Inn, a not-for-profit substance abuse treatment clinic and one of the nation's longest running men's shelters, has been named a national team member of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's (RWJF) Paths to Recovery Learning Collaborative. Out of the 334 substance abuse sites that submitted proposals, only ten organizations from around the country were selected to participate in this unique learning collaborative to address the organizational barriers to substance abuse treatment.

Paths to Recovery, a national program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) announced today that 10 substance abuse treatment sites have been selected to receive funding as they participate in a unique learning collaborative which will address the organizational barriers to substance abuse treatment.