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.

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.

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.

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

NIATx Accelerating Reform Initiative

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

Deadline for Accelerating Reform Proposals

Proposals for participation in the Accelerating Reform initiative are due on November 24, 2009.

NIATx seeks applications for the Accelerating Reform Initiative from progressive organizations that have started transformational efforts to prepare for the sweeping changes that parity, health care reform, and decreased grant funding may bring.

Up to 12 organizations will work together to accelerate their reform efforts, sharing creative thinking on how to thrive in a dramatically different funding environment.

For more information, see the Accelerating Reform page.

November 2009 eNews Now Available

The November 2009 edition of the NIATx eNews is now available.

This month's eNews includes:

• ACTION Items with Kim Johnson
• The call for presentations for the 2010 SAAS Conference and NIATx Summit
• A report from the NIATx 200 Celebration Session in Massachusetts
  
• An announcement for the new Accelerating Reform initiative
• An ACTION success story from Above the Water House in Michigan
• Upcoming events and webinars
  

Accelerated Reform Featured in Addiction Professional

The NIATx Accelerated Reform initiative was recently featured in Addiction Professional.

For more information about Accelerated Reform, check out the initiative's web page or download the initiative announcement.

Informational Call: Accelerating Reform

Please join us for an informational call about the new Accelerating Reform initiative on Tuesday, November 10 at 1pm Eastern.

To join this call:

1. Dial 1-866-642-1665.
2. Enter this passcode: 468162 followed by the pound (#) sign.

For more information, see the Accelerating Reform page.

NIATx Accelerating Reform Initiative

An invitation to forward-thinking leaders in behavioral health care

NIATx Accelerating Reform Initiative
December 2009-July 2010
Request for Proposal deadline: November 24, 2009

NIATx seeks applications for the Accelerating Reform Initiative from progressive organizations that have started transformational efforts to prepare for the sweeping changes that parity, health care reform, and decreased grant funding may bring.

Up to 12 organizations will work together to accelerate their reform efforts, sharing creative thinking on how to thrive in a dramatically different funding environment.

For more information on the initiative visit the NIATx website or download a pdf version of the announcement.