"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."
Friday, October 22, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
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.
Monday, September 13, 2010
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
Monday, August 16, 2010
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
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
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
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.
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
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
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
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
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
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
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
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