A new way to find and organize NIATx promising practices

Last month we sent out a survey asking for feedback on the NIATx website. One of our goals was to determine which resources people used. Of the twelve options, four were closely bunched together as the most popular. The Process Improvement 101 online tutorial and the Provider Toolkit, which features a step-by-step guide to conducting a successful change project, tied for third place. Our Forms and Templates page came in second, and our catalog of Promising Practices topped the list.

The NIATx Promising Practices are a rich resource. They teach and inspire by using the successes and failures of other agencies. In an effort to help you find the promising practice that best suits your needs, we've added some new features that allow you to refine your search.

Located under the NIATx Resource Center tab, the new Promising Practices page alphabetically lists all of the promising practices available to you. A new "Refine Promising Practices" feature on the right side of the page allows you to quickly sort the list by aim, ease of implementation, expected benefit, and financial impact. Just check the boxes that apply to your agency's goals.

If you prefer the original organization of promising practices, those pages are still available and links to them are located above the "Refine Promising Practices" search options on the right side of the page.

As you're using this new tool, please let us know what you think. Your feedback helps us determine which new services and tools to offer.

Send your comments or questions to webmaster@niatx.net

NIATx/SAAS Seeking Nominations for Leading Innovations in Behavioral Healthcare Services

Behavioral healthcare organizations who are leading the way with innovative approaches to management and process improvement have an opportunity to be recognized as leading innovators with the 2010 iAward.

Sponsored by Washington, D.C.-based State Associations of Addiction Services (SAAS) and NIATx, based at the University of Wisconsin, the 2010 Innovation in Behavioral Healthcare Services Awards highlights innovations in process improvement practices that position an organization to meet the challenges of future service delivery.

The iAwards aim to provide national recognition of agencies that are using innovative approaches and provides a venue for them to share how they have adapted to meet the changing needs of clients, staff and the addiction healthcare field.

To be eligible for the iAward, provider organizations, coalitions, or state, county or local government payors/agencies must have developed and implemented an innovative practice in either management or process improvement within the previous three years. Innovations may be evidence-based or a best/promising practice and should be a new practice or an adaptation of a current practice.

This award is limited to entities engaged in addiction treatment and recovery services. Other behavioral healthcare organizations are eligible if the innovations relate to services integrated directly with treatment and/or recovery, e.g., co-occurring disorders, criminal justice, child welfare, primary healthcare. This could also include organizations that have implemented recovery-oriented systems.

Up to ten awards recognizing innovations in management and process improvement will be presented. Examples of areas in which innovations have occurred include (but are not limited to): workforce development, client access to treatment, client engagement /retention in treatment, continuity of care, staff engagement and retention, creative funding models, performance management, and community engagement.

Awards will be presented at the NIATx Summit and SAAS Annual Conference in Boston, July 10-13, 2011.

All expenses for travel and registration will be covered for one representative of each award. Deadline for submissions is February 15, 2011. For more information or to nominate your organization, download the award nomination form at www.saasniatx.net.

Are you ready for health reform?

Are you ready for Health Reform?

Or other major trends impacting how behavioral health will be delivered in the future?

NIATx has developed a Health Reform Readiness Index that is easy to complete and free. The brief tool assesses your readiness based on the organizational processes you need to have in place to participate in accountable care organizations or Medicaid; achieved desired clinical outcomes; and participate in the general health care system. Complete the Health Reform Readiness Index today and begin making your plans for pending changes in how behavioral health services are delivered.

The "Health Reform Readiness Index" was developed and tested in the twenty-two organization national "Accelerating Reform Initiative" project. The Accelerating Reform Initiative gives behavioral health care organizations the tools and peer supports they need to respond to the sweeping changes that parity, health care integration, and decreased grant funding may bring. Click here to see a list of additional Accelerating Reform Initiative resources.

Reclaiming Futures Looking For New Executive Director

"Reclaiming Futures at Portland State University, in downtown Portland along the tree-lined Park Blocks, is an excellent place to work. As our full-time national executive director, you will provide the vision, leadership, and direction to spread Reclaiming Futures -- a proven model used by 29 communities to help teens overcome drugs, alcohol and crime -- to new sites across the country. For position description and application instructions, visit: www.hrc.pdx.edu, under "Faculty and Administrative Opening." To learn more about Reclaiming Futures, visit www.reclaimingfutures.org."
"Application review begins mid-November and position is open until filled. The successful applicant is expected to start work April 2011. PSU is an AA/EO institution and welcomes applications from diverse candidates and candidates who support diversity."

Victor Capoccia on health reform and the Accelerating Reform Collaborative

With the announcement of the NIATx Accelerating Reform Collaborative, we asked NIATx Senior Scientist Victor Capoccia to share his views on health reform and how NIATx will position itself within that new environment.

1. What is your view on the current state of affairs in behavioral health?

Without question, this is the most exciting period I have experienced in my 40-year career in social welfare and behavioral health. Here is why:

• There is greater knowledge about mental and substance based disorders and successful treatments. We have medications as well as counseling protocols that are tested and efficacious.
• Despite a slow economy, there are more resources to prevent and treat mental and addiction disorders than ever before; and there are more to come with the provisions of the Accountable and Affordable Care Act.
• There is greater understanding and awareness of addiction as a treatable health condition than at any previous period. Stigma still exists, but it exists in tandem with a better public understanding of mental health and alcohol and drug misuse.

Take these three forces, and they shout: OPPORTUNITY! Shame on us if we fail to make the changes needed to reach those who continue to suffer with untreated addiction and mental health conditions.

2.What kind of opportunities do you see health reform presenting to behavioral health organizations?

I feel that health care reform presents the following opportunities:

• Coverage of 32 million uninsured Americans that largely include a mental health and addiction benefit; this coverage includes dependents up to 26 years of age and low-income adults up to 100% of the federal poverty level.
• Insurance coverage if these conditions existed prior to coverage.
• Parity with general medical care for addiction and mental health treatments.
• Medical homes for chronic and acute patients.
• Prevention screening and intervention for Mental Health and Addiction disorders.
• Workforce development and training for behavioral health professionals.
• And many others...

3. What is the NIATx Accelerating Reform Collaborative?

The Accelerating Reform Collaborative comes from a simple premise: in a period of great opportunity where the "stars have aligned", we need to transform our treatment systems to reach more of the 20 million untreated people with addiction disorders and the 1/3 untreated of those with mental illness. Our current system is designed to reach 10% of 23 million people with addiction disorders, and 66% of people with mental illness. "Every system is perfectly designed to produce the results that it produces".

Only transformation of the system will reach beyond current performance.

The Accelerating Reform Collaborative is a collection of innovators from provider, academic, consumer and policy groups who are willing to share their ideas and experience to redesign the system to reach the untreated.

4. What's special about this collaborative? Why should organizations join?

It's the PEOPLE. The colleagues, the experience, the ideas. This is where the leading edge is being cut.

5. What is NIATx's future role with health care reform?

NIATx has and will continue to focus on the customer, understand the patient experience, and design systems that will help meet those patient needs.

That is our core, our soul.

CHESS to join NIDA Clinical Trials Network-Florida Node

Being involved in public health research for the past 40 some years, I feel fairly confident in saying that the group here at CHESS (which includes NIATx), well, we're pretty darn good at what we do.

We're really in a lucky situation. We can let our imaginations run wild, without limitations or barriers.

But in the real world we all face limitations and barriers. For many of our NIATx organizations just keeping the doors open or making payroll are a daily reminder of that.

One of the barriers that we struggle with at CHESS is how do we get the results of great research into the hands of the people who need it most. Effective dissemination has to be a priority for us.

And that is one of the many reasons that I'm excited to announce that beginning October 1, CHESS will join the Florida Node Alliance of the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) Clinical Trials Network (CTN).

The CTN works to bring researchers and treatment providers together with the aim of improving substance abuse treatment. What this means is that we'll be able to conduct large scale studies that can take into account the variations between treatment agencies and variations in payment schemes so that the research will be of more practical value.

The CTN will allow our research to expand beyond tightly controlled laboratory environments. Having access to agencies that represent a range of delivery sites and philosophies will help us to better understand the real-world implications of our research.

When we start moving into the community and trying things out we will have a much better idea of what works, when it works and for whom it works. That's one of the problems with Evidence Based Practices (EBPs). What worked in a very controlled environment doesn't necessarily translate in the real world.

This will allow us to extend work that NIATx has already begun through programs like Advancing Recovery. Advancing Recovery took EBPs, continuing care for example, and partnering with treatment agencies and State government learned what it takes to make these innovations work in the real world.

Technology will be the focus of the Center's work with the Clinical Trial Network, beginning with Addiction-CHESS (A-CHESS), with plans to test similar technology under development for families (FAM-CHESS), drug courts, and a number of other populations.

And through this new relationship with CTN and the continued work of all our NIATx member organizations, my hope is that the results of our research will be relevant to the full range of treatment agencies, and not just a limited subset.

David Gustafson
Director, NIATx

Preparing for Parity and Health Care Reform

As the landmark parity legislation takes effect this year and we look forward to the increased access to health care coverage that will take effect in 2014 due to the recently passed health reform legislation, NIATx is working to develop tools to help service providers use process improvement and systems design to improve their back office functions as well as their work with clients.

Parity and health reform will increase the number of people who seek treatment and have insurance to cover it. One part of the health reform bill that takes place this year is the requirement for health plans to allow adult children to stay on their parent's insurance until age 27. This expansion of coverage to young adults means that many people that need treatment now have coverage. That coverage requires the capacity to bill for service. The capacity to bill for services may mean a change in staff, both clinical and office staff; it may mean the need to develop a process for billing or for paying more attention to collections as insurance reimbursement may become a bigger portion of your revenues.

As the health care payment system becomes more responsible for paying for services, the health care delivery system will become more responsible for delivering services. Already we see widening use of SBIR and a large proportion of community health centers already have behavioral health specialists who are providing mental health counseling but will soon develop capacity for adding addiction treatment to their mix. What this means for specialty providers is the need to develop relationships with health care providers now.

It may be time to begin thinking about integrated electronic health record systems that can communicate with other local health systems and can offer both a clinical record and practice management services. An important aspect of health reform is to modernize the health care delivery system through these kinds of systems and a great deal of money is available to help providers purchase and integrate these systems into their practice. Right now you are mostly excluded from access to the funds, but there are several efforts underway that should change that in the near future.

All of these changes will have a huge impact on the behavioral health and particularly the addiction treatment business model. NIATx is developing a set of tools and training opportunities to help you make the transition from your current business model to the business practice of the future. The first two projects are already underway. We have the NIATx Billing Guide, published for those who have never had to bill for services and want a place to start. We also have a fifty site learning collaborative that will launch in October to help providers develop or improve upon their billing practices. In October, we will also launch a collaborative project with the National Association of Community Health Centers to better integrate behavioral and community health programs.

Keep reading our blog and checking the web site for more opportunities to participate in efforts to move business practices forward.

And always remember to keep your customer/client in mind. In the end, we hope that these changes will expand access to services to an extent that we couldn't achieve by just improving agency efficiency. Together, we will move forward to ensure that everyone that needs treatment can get it!

Kim Johnson
Co-Deputy Director, NIATx

A more secure web experience - Part I

This is the first in a series of blog posts from the NIATx tech team relating to internet security. Over the next few months we'll share tips and information on creating a safe internet environment.

Tip #1: Make sure you have the latest version of your browser

Some examples of popular browsers are: Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari. Using an older version poses known security risks, and some older versions do not display web pages properly.

Most modern browsers will let you know when an update is available, and you should always say Yes!

Upgrading is free, fast and will save you a lot of potential security issues!

Not sure if you're using the latest version of your browser? Click on the links below to find out.

• Firefox (Recommended)
• Internet Explorer
• Google Chrome
• Safari

Finding the means to achieve the meaning

A memorable moment for me from this past Summit happened during Peter Block's plenary session. Peter had us break into small groups with people we didn't know. The idea being that one method of building community is to get engaged in small groups with people you know the least.

Through this exercise I was able to meet one of the performers from the group Elementz. Elementz is a group of young men and women who through their love of hip-hop, have come together to create a community where they can share, grow and learn. Their performance to open the Summit was inspiring and you can see it here.

Talking with this young man, this charismatic leader, was also inspiring. Hip-hop and performing are his passion. And through all the hardships he faces in his life, he struggles to find the means to achieve the meaning.

In some ways, it reminds me of the work we do with our wonderful partners in the field. Hopefully by focusing on our customers it reminds us of the meaning. It reminds us of why we do this incredibly difficult, but incredibly rewarding, job.

And by focusing on processes we're finding the means to achieve that meaning. It's the merger of the essence of who we are and the methods for becoming who we want to be.

Meeting those young people was reaffirming and a reminder that it's so important to keep going.

Dave Gustafson
Director, NIATx

Welcome to the new and improved NIATx website!

The new NIATx website will retain all the great resources of the old site, but with easier to use navigation, new features and updated content.

So I invite you to take a few minutes to explore and use the new site. And make sure to let us know what you think at webmaster@niatx.net

Some of the new features of the site include:

Improved navigation
Our goal with the new navigation is to get you to the resources you need as quickly as possible. To that end, we've organized content into drop-down menus that appear under seven main headings at the top of every page. The menu headings have been re-labeled to clearly identify the content within each one.

At the bottom of the home page, we've also categorized frequently used links by type of user as well as provide a section to highlight certain projects or events.

If you don't see what you're looking for, you can always use the search function located at the top of every page.

Shareable content
We've made it easy to share with your colleagues all the great content on the NIATx site. At the top right of every page, you'll see icons that will let you email the page, share the page to your favorite social networking site or print the page.

My NIATx
Almost all the content on the NIATx site is available to users without a username or password. But there are a couple tools that do require a login. One of those is My NIATx, your personal home page and dashboard to the NIATx Network. On My NIATx you can save the resources important to you in one convenient location or check out the latest news and blog posts, as well as see a digest of the most recent activity to the Support Forum.

Support Forum
The NIATx Support Forum is where we bring the power of the NIATx Network to you. Can't find the answer on the NIATx site? Browse the instant help FAQ for ideas and resources to some common problems. Or post a question to the forum and get help from over 4,000 provider participants, 100 coaches and university staff. The NIATx Network is only as strong as you make it, so take some time to browse the Support Forum and share your expertise.

Thanks and make sure to let us know what you think.

Dave Gustafson
Director, NIATx

New Relapse Prevention Tool Tested by NIATx and Center for Health Enhancement Systems Studies

With funding from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), NIATx and its research partner, the Center for Health Enhancement Systems Studies, are developing and testing a mobile phone-based relapse prevention system that is currently being tested in a randomized controlled clinical trial.

Named Addiction CHESS (ACHESS), the system will be delivered through a smart-phone and will focus on providing information and resources to alcohol-dependent patients leaving residential care. Using the latest communications technology holds great potential to support people in recovery, particularly for young people who have come to rely on the internet and cell phones for information, entertainment, and social support.

Features of ACHESS include:

1) communication with peer support groups and addiction experts;

2) timely monitoring to assess risk of relapse;

3) reminders and alerts to encourage adherence to therapeutic goals;

4) individualized addiction-related educational material and tools tailored to the needs of the particular patient;

5) access to selected Internet-based resources;

6) one-touch communication with a care manager;

7) high-risk location alerts; and

8) 12-step meeting locations (using GPS).

Patients randomly assigned to ACHESS will learn to use it during the two weeks prior to discharge from residential care. For more information, visit Innovations for Recovery.

Learn about Contracting with the VA for Veterans' Mental Health Services

National Council LIVE Webinar

Contracting with the VA for Veterans' Mental Health Services

Wed, May 12, 2010
12 pm eastern, 11 am central, 10 am mountain, 9 am pacific

REGISTER FREE

Presenter
Darlene Smith, Contracting Officer, Denver Acquisition and Logistics Center

The National Council will hold a webinar with a representative from the VA to provide assistance in the development of proposals for its behavioral health contracting pilot project. The purpose of the pilot project is to contract for the acquisition of rural mental health services within targeted areas for eligible Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who are enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration, reside in rural areas, and do not have ready access to mental health services through VA Medical Centers and Clinics or Vet Centers. Contracted outpatient services will be provided at the contractor's facilities/locations. Services are expected to include peer outreach and peer support, outpatient mental health, readjustment counseling, and mental health day treatment. Community behavioral healthcare organizations in the following Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISN) are eligible for participation:

* VISN 1: Maine
* VISN 19: Colorado
* VISN 20: Washington, Oregon, Idaho

During this webinar, the VA will review the solicitation requirements and discuss the process for proposal submission. Information provided during the webinar is intended to assist in the development of proposals. The proposal deadline has recently been extended to June 7, 2010.

Poster Session at NIDA Blending Conference

Kim presented a poster on the ACTION Campaign at the NIDA Blending Conference in Albuquerque last week. We quickly ran out of hand-outs and many people requested we post the poster content on the web site. We were excited that the poster won an honorable mention ribbon!

Visit the ACTION Campaign Resources page to download a PDF of the poster.

Wisconsin Teen Intervene Pilot a Success

The Wisconsin Adolescent Project came to an end on March 31, 2010. Organized by Susan Endres, Adolescent Treatment Coordinator at Wisconsin Department of Health Services, this was a partnership between the state of Wisconsin, Dr. Ken Winters of University of Minnesota, creator of the evidence-based practice Teen Intervene, (TI), NIATx, and three agencies that serve adolescents: University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics' Adolescent Alcohol/Drug Assessment Intervention Program (UWHC-AADAIP); Coulee Youth Centers of La Crosse, and Options, Inc. of Appleton, which operates several sites in the surrounding area.

Betta Owens and Anna Wheelock worked as NIATx team coaches helping agencies identify and remove barriers to implementing TI. After a kick-off meeting in the fall 2009, we conducted PI-101 training at the three sites, attended TI training with providers, and held monthly teleconferences. Dr. Winters participated in the teleconferences and provided the agencies with additional assistance in the use of the TI tool.
By the end of this six-month project each program had made significant changes. Coulee Youth Centers had not only implemented TI in their main office but is also working with all area high schools to implement it. Options, Inc. had expected to treat an additional 27 youth and families per year, but now expects to serve 60, and will introduce the tool to their Oshkosh office, which serves primarily college students. In Madison, AADAIP focused on reducing its assessment time from two to three appointments spaced out over several weeks to one appointment of less than 60 minutes, which now allows time for them to implement TI.

The final conference call on April 5 included the change leaders, Dr. Winters, and Susan Endres. Dr. Winters will continue to offer assistance and provide updates on the TI tool to the participating agencies.

The project's change leaders have formed a network and will continue to support each other. They are applying for a panel presentation and hoping to share their experience at an upcoming conference in Baltimore.

Susan Endres is pleased with the results and is now writing a proposal to expand the project statewide. She says, "I would never have tried this without NIATx!"

NIATx Change Leader Academy - Sold Out!

The upcoming NIATx Change Leader Academy has just sold out.

The next Change Leader Academy will be November 2-3, 2010. Registration will open in June 2010.

The Change Leader Academy (12 CEUs available) trains participants in the NIATx model and provides support as participants carry out their first change project in their agency.

For more information go to the Change Leader Academy page on the NIATx Web site.

Behavioral Health Pacesetter Award - Call for Nominations

The Annapolis Coalition on the Behavioral Health Workforce and The Hitachi Foundation are beginning a national search to identify exceptional workforce practices affecting direct support workers in the behavioral health field. A "Call for Nominations" will be issued by the Annapolis Coalition on March 31, 2010. This search will culminate in recognition of a few outstanding behavioral health organizations that are having a positive impact on their front-line employees, on their clients, and on their own viability as business entities.

To learn more about the "Behavioral Health Pacesetter Award" please visit the Annapolis Coalition website at www.annapoliscoalition.org, or you may contact Wayne F. Dailey, PhD, Project Coordinator at (860) 754-6967 or by email at waynedailey7@gmail.com.

NIATx-Wisconsin Mental Health Collaborative

In February, NIATx and representatives from Wisconsin's Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse kicked off the Wisconsin Mental Health Collaborative. In this project, NIATx will draw on its experience in designing change strategies and building collaboratives in behavioral health to create a tailored framework for reducing inpatient readmissions in designated counties in the state.

Counties participating are Dodge, Grant/Iowa, La Crosse, Milwaukee, Marathon/Lincoln/ Langlade, Wood, and Waukesha.

For more information on the collaborative, contact Tom Mosgaller, director of the collaborative, at tom.mosgaller@chess.wisc.edu.

Free e-Learning Course Now Available: NIATx PI 101

In the NIATx model of process improvement, successful change efforts begin with a walk-through. Just what is a "walk-through"? It's a way for an organization to experience the services you provide just as your clients or customers do.

Our new e-Learning course, Process Improvement 101 gives an overview of the NIATx model and the tools users need to prepare for a walk-through in their organizations. Users can complete this free course in less than an hour, or view one segment at a time. Click here to take the course.

ACTION Campaign "Share Your Story" Contest

We want to hear from you!

Tell us your agency's story about implementing a NIATx promising practice and you could win one of five all expense paid trips to this year's Summit.

Send us your story, either written or a short video, and you'll be entered into the prize drawing

For more information and instructions on how to write a story, visit the Share Your Story contest page.

Advancing Recovery Celebrates National Learning Session

The Advancing Recovery (AR) study celebrated a pinnacle event January 14 and 15, 2010 in Washington, D.C. with the program's final national learning session. This five-year, $17 million dollar study was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, with NIATx and the Treatment Research Institute (TRI) collaborating as the AR national program office.
Two sets of AR grantees in 12 states worked to promote the introduction of evidence-based practices in addiction treatment. Secondary goals included measuring the effects that implementation of these system-wide evidence-based practices have on regulatory, financial, and inter-/intra-organizational processes on a statewide level (i.e., "whole systems change").
States participating in the study include: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Rhode Island, Texas, West Virginia.

ACTION Campaign Webinar: Increasing Collections from Insurance Companies

Join us tomorrow, February 18 at 11:00 am CST for a FREE ACTION Campaign II webinar. John Greenawalt from TERROS in Phoenix, Arizona and Wendy Danicourt from Operation PAR, Pinellas Park, Florida, will discuss their real world solutions to increasing collections from insurance providers.

Also, make sure to download February's promising practices. Promising practices let us learn from others and provide inspiration as we implement our own change projects. We encourage you to try them out in your agency.

February's promising practices focus on tapping into referral sources and increasing collections from insurance companies.

NIATx Accelerating Reform Initiative - Leadership Forum

22 forward-thinking organizations from across the country are meeting in Madison February 10-12 to share ideas on the changes that parity and potential health care reform will bring.

The NIATx Accelerating Reform Initiative Leadership Forum featured presenters include Victor Capoccia, Open Society Institute, Gabrielle de la Gueronniere, Legal Action Center, Anne Herron, SAMHSA, and Suzanne Fields, MassHealth, along with representatives from various provider agencies.

SAMHSA TCE/HIV Program: NIATx Learning Collaborative

On February 3, the NIATx STAR (Support, Training and Resource) Program held a grantee kick-off meeting with participants of the SAMHSA TCE/HIV NIATx Learning Collaborative. The meeting featured James Harrison (of NIATx founding member site Brandywine Counseling) discussing how HIV/AIDS-specific programs have successfully used NIATx principles. Fifteen treatment agencies working with HIV/AIDS clients are entering into this pilot Learning Collaborative to improve access and retention processes, with a particular interest in increasing use of rapid HIV testing.

Sites include:
North New Jersey AIDS Alliance
Healing with Caare, Inc.
Safe Haven Outreach Ministry
Watts Healthcare Corporation
Yale University
Bienvenidos Children's Center
Community Health Awareness
New Horizons
Latino Commission on AIDS
Lower Eastside Service Center
Gandara Mental Health Center
Promesa, Inc.
The Coastal Bend AIDS Foundation
Gaudenzia, Inc.
Urban Renewal Corporation

ACTION Campaign II Promising Practices

Each month the ACTION Campaign II highlights a promising
practice or two from the NIATx Provider Toolkit. With a focus
on building financial strength in a changing world, our
January and February Promising Practices give you strategies for developing relationships with your referral agencies. Hear how one organization became a preferred provider on the next ACTION Campaign II Webinar, February 9, 2010, 11:00 a.m. Central.

ACTION Campaign II Webinar Featuring Tom McLellan on Health Care Reform

The NIATx ACTION Campaign II was pleased to feature Dr. Tom McLellan,
Deputy Director of the ONDCP, on our most recent webinar. Missed it?
Visit the ACTION Campaign Webinar Library at www.niatx.net/action/webinars.aspx.

2010 SAAS National Conference/NIATx Summit

Registration is now open for the 2010 SAAS National Conference and NIATx Summit. Focused on leadership, process improvement and technology, this year's conference will be held in Cincinnati, OH from July 11th - 14th.

Visit www.saasniatx.net for complete information.

What's New with NIATx-SI?

The NIATx-SI team (Jeanne Pulvermacher and Stephanie Richards)
has organized several activities for the first cohort of states: New York, Massachusetts, Arkansas, Kentucky, Iowa, and Colorado.

Activities include:

January 11 and 12: NIATx Coach Academy, Washington, D.C. Representatives from the NIATx-SI states and others will receive training and become apprentice NIATx coaches.

January 26 and 27: Change Team members from the NIATx-SI states will convene in Orlando to work on spread and sustainability strategies.

Monthly, through July 2010: states will meet via phone conference and webinar to discuss topics including: building provider trust, institutionalizing NIATx, conducting state-level walkthroughs, integrating substance abuse and mental health treatment, pay for performance, and the NIATx Provider Tool Kit and sustainability tool.

In addition, the NIATx-SI team will schedule Interest Circle calls facilitated by NIATx staff/coaches as needed on the topics of data and feedback, recovery oriented systems of care, and spreading process improvement capacity.

NIATx-SI is also scheduling Change Leader Academies in five of the six states, to take place throughout spring 2010.

NIATx-SI presents a great opportunity to draw from the key learnings these states have gained from various NIATx programs, including NIATx 200, Advancing Recovery, and STAR-SI. The project will build the states’ internal capacity to spread and sustain process improvement and work toward the goals outlined in their project charters.

What's New with NIATx200

The NIATx 200 grant is in the beginning of its fourth year. The 18-month intervention period concluded for the first cohort (Michigan, New York and Washington agencies) in March of 2009 and for the second cohort (Massachusetts and Oregon agencies) in July of 2009. The states have all been engaged in a subsequent nine-month sustainability period to retain and provide ongoing support to the participating agencies in their NIATx efforts.

All of the participating states have recently submitted data sets that are complete through the intervention period. The next step is to clean and prepare the data sets for analysis of the primary outcomes (waiting time, admissions, show rate and continuation). The initial focus for analysis will be on waiting time with a goal to have results ready to present to the funder, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), by the spring of 2010. Concurrently, analysis of other primary and secondary outcomes will be under way.

An effort to prepare abstracts and present preliminary findings to the field continues. To date, five posters and one oral presentation have been presented at the College on Problem Drug Dependence Conference, which is NIDA’s preferred conference. In addition, two posters have been presented to the Academy of Health Services Research Conference. The ultimate goal is to publish findings in scientific journals as well as in trade publications.

NIATx/SAAS Seek Nominations for iAwards

What are the iAwards?

The iAwards aim to provide national recognition of agencies that are using innovative approaches and provides a venue for them to share how they have adapted to meet the changing needs of clients, staff and the addiction healthcare field.

Who should apply?

Provider organizations, coalitions, or state, county or local government payors/agencies engaged in substance abuse services.

What type of innovations will be considered?

An innovative practice in either management or process improvement within the previous three years.

What do the award recipients receive?
All expenses for travel and registration will be covered for one representative for each award to the SAAS/NIATx Conference July 11-14, 2010 in Cincinnati, OH

How do I apply?
Click here for the iAward application form and submittal instructions. (PDF)

Victor Capoccia Interview on NIATx Accelerating Reform Initiative

NIATx Senior Scientist Victor Capoccia shares information on the
Accelerating Reform Initiative on Behavioral Health Central:

http://bit.ly/7bzxu6

Training on Parity, Equity, and Health Care Reform

The Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association (IADDA) is hosting a
one-day training on February 15, 2010, focused on parity, equity, and health care reform. For more information,
or to register, visit:

http://www.iadda.org/code/parity.html

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation publishes case study on NIATx

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a major funder of NIATx research related
to addiction treatment, recently published a case study focused on the original
cohort of NIATx grantees.