NIATx Year In Review - 2011

While we expanded to other areas of behavioral health and social services, in 2011 we continued to offer new programs and tools for our original customer, the substance abuse treatment field.

The NIATx-SI Business Practices for the Future: Fee-for-Service project focused on helping substance abuse treatment organizations make the transition from block grant funding to third-party billing.

Integrating substance abuse treatment and primary care in federally qualified health centers was the aim of another 2011 project. NIATx and the National Association of Community Health Centers worked in partnership on this learning collaborative that offered FQHCs technical assistance on how to contract for substance abuse treatment services. 

With the theme “Revolutionary Strategies for Leaders,” the 2011 NIATx Summit/SAAS National Conference in Boston offered an array of keynote speakers and workshops designed to help leaders guide their organizations in the rapidly-changing behavioral healthcare environment.  And once again we’re using customer feedback to plan the 2012 SAAS National Conference and NIATx Summit, June 19-22, in New Orleans. You can count on a program with engaging speakers and lots of practical how-to workshops.

The Summit also marked the grand finale for the ACTION Campaign. Led by NIATx Deputy Director Kim Johnson, the Campaign met and exceeded its goals to help substance abuse treatment agencies try NIATx promising practices to increase access and retention, improve their financial health, and adapt to the new opportunities anticipated with health care reform.

In response to requests from across the country, NIATx offered Change Leader Academies to sell-out in Madison. We also took the Change Leader Academy on the road, presenting this popular training program in Maryland, Texas, Indiana, and New York.

Technology played an important role in NIATx projects in 2011. We piloted tested A-CHESS, a smart phone based recovery tool, with drug court participants in Massachusetts. Results suggest that A-CHESS holds great potential to help people achieve and maintain recovery. Another 2011 initiative is developing an Internet-based network to help clinical supervisors adopt evidence-based practices for treating substance use disorders.

We continued to update the website to make it easier for you to find the NIATx tools you’re looking for. We added new resources, including new promising practices from the opioid treatment program and fee-for-service learning collaboratives.

Throughout the year, we continued to hear from participating organizations that the NIATx model works in any organization looking to improve its systems, no matter who the customer or the type of service provided.

We look forward to working with you on new programs in 2012.  Check the NIATx website regulary for updates!