Ten Sites Selected to Lead Substance Abuse Field in Process Improvements

Improving Access and Retention in Substance Abuse Treatment Programs

Madison, Wisc. – September 16, 2003 — 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.

Nationally, fewer than one in four people addicted to alcohol or drugs receive treatment, and as many as half of those who do successfully access treatment leave their treatment program before its full benefit can be realized. There are three main reasons for this, explains David Gustafson, director of the Paths to Recovery initiative. "For some the issue is finances, for others the issue is readiness. But we’ve found that often the real issue keeping patients from treatment is the way that services are delivered, and this is the issue each organization participating in the Paths to Recovery program is addressing."

The treatment sites selected (see attached list) are leading providers in the field who have been making innovative changes in their own organizations. By redesigning processes such as client intake, assessment, scheduling, outreach, and family involvement, the Paths to Recovery goal is to create a more efficient system that is less frustrating for both clients and staff, and that makes it easier for clients to complete treatment.

"Paths to Recovery represents a turning point for substance abuse treatment," says Victor Capoccia, RWJF senior program officer. "These grantees lead a generation of providers focusing on addiction as a health not a behavioral problem, and focusing on proven treatment interventions. Getting people in need of treatment into a program early, and allowing them to stay longer increases the probability that recovery will occur."

For more information about the Paths to Recovery project and the selected substance abuse treatment sites, please visit www.pathstorecovery.org.

Members of the Paths to Recovery Learning Collaborative

Acadia Hospital

268 Stillwater Ave/PO Box 404
Bangor, ME 04402
207-973-6100
Ms. Lynn Madden, Vice President, Chief Operating Officer
lmadden@emh.org
www.acadiahospital.org

Barnwell County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse d/b/a AXIS I Center of Barnwell

1644 Jackson St
Barnwell, SC 29812
803-541-1245
Ms. Cheryl Long, Executive Director
clong@axis1.org
www.axis1.org/

Brandywine Counseling, Inc

2713 Lancaster Ave
Wilmington, DE 19805
302-656-2348
Ms. Sara Allshouse, Executive Director
sallshouse@brandywinecounseling.org
www.brandywinecounseling.org

Daybreak of Spokane

11707 E Sprague, D4
Spokane, WA 99206
509-927-1688
Mr. Tim Smith, Executive Director
tsmith@daybreakinfo.org
www.daybreakspokane.org

Gosnold, Inc

200 Ter Heun Drive/PO Box 929
Falmouth, MA 02541
508-540-6550
Mr. Raymond Tamasi, President/CEO
rtamasi@gosnold.org
www.gosnold.org

Jackie Nitschke Center, Inc

630 Cherry St
Green Bay, WI 54301
920-435-2093
Ms. Judy Glenz, Executive Director
nitschke@bayland.net

Kentucky River Community Care, Inc

178 Community Way, PO Box 794
Jackson, KY 41339
606-666-9006
Dr. Louise Howell, Executive Director
krcc2@mis.net
www.krccnet.com/

Perinatal Treatment Services

600 N 130th St
Seattle, WA 98133
206-223-1300 x 239
Ms. Kay Seim, Executive Director
kays@ptswa.org
www.ptswa.org

Prairie Ridge Addiction Treatment Services

320 N Eisenhower Ave/PO Box 1338
Mason City, IA 50402
641-424-2391
Mr. Jay Hansen, Executive Director
jhansen@prairieridge.net
www.prairieridge.net/

St. Christopher's Inn, Inc

PO Box 150 Graymoor
Garrison, NY 10524
845-424-3616
Ms. Marianne Taylor-Rhoades, Director of Operations
mtaylor-rhoades@atonementfriars.org
http://atonementfriars.org

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The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, based in Princeton, N.J., is the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care. It concentrates its grantmaking in four goal areas: to assure that all Americans have access to quality health care at reasonable cost; to improve the quality of care and support for people with chronic health conditions; to promote healthy communities and lifestyles; and to reduce the personal, social and economic harm caused by substance abuse - tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs.

Paths to Recovery is a national initiative of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation designed to strengthen the substance abuse field’s ability to significantly and continuously improve the care processes that facilitate patient access to and retention in substance abuse treatment programs.