NIATx Accelerating Reform Initiative (ARI)

Project Purpose

The purpose of the NIATx Accelerating Reform Initiative (ARI) is to give behavioral health care organizations the tools and peer supports needed to respond to the sweeping changes that parity, health care integration and decreased grant funding may bring. These include:

• Developing partnerships with primary care and community health centers to capitalize and improve the health care infrastructure
• Enhancing their ability to use technology to share information across the continuum of provider services, deliver treatment, and respond to modified payment and billing systems
• Developing outreach and marketing strategies to reach individuals that will have coverage but have not sought treatment
• Developing strategies to educate and recruit workforce

The long-term objective of NIATx Accelerating Reform is to reduce the number of individuals who need mental health or addiction services and do not receive treatment. To meet this objective, ARI provider organizations will conduct an assessment of their readiness for reform, develop an action plan, and implement organizational systems and processes that will assure improved outcomes and integration with primary care service delivery systems.

Strategic Goals

• Increase billing capacity/flexibility to better understand new payment methods—bundled physician rates, performance-based contracting.
• Co-locate and integrate with local primary care clinics/FQHCs.
• Increase the number of credentialed SUD professionals to respond to payers' requirements.
• Increase use of e-therapy.

We would like to thank the following organizations for supporting the Accelerating Reform Initiative