Key DFM Personnel

Richard L. Brown, MD, MPH - Principal Investigator
Mary Beth Plane, PhD
Deanne Boss, MS - STAR-SI Project Coordinator

Collaborators

John Easterday, Ph.D., Administrator, WI Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Joyce Allen, Director, WI Bureau of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Michael Quirke, Program Evaluation Coordinator, Bureau of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Elizabeth Strauss, Process Improvement Coach, Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment

Funding

U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), administered by the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services

Program Summary

Wisconsin was selected as one of nine states nation-wide to participate in this grant program that began in October 2006. The purpose of the grant is to use the Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment (NIATx) Quality Improvement Model to improve organizational processes at the State and Treatment Agency level by impacting client access to and retention in outpatient substance abuse treatment services. This is done through quality improvement projects that address one of four aims where the delivery of treatment is concerned:

1. To reduce the wait time between a client's first request for service and the first treatment session
2. To reduce client no-shows
3. To increase addiction treatment centers' admissions
4. To increase the treatment continuation rate between the first and fourth treatment sessions

The collection and reporting of data is central to the NIATx model. Baseline data is gathered by the Providing Organization, followed by a rapid-cycle quality improvement cycle, and concluding with post change data. This feedback is best utilized when the Change Teams at the Providing Organization, make continued decisions about next quality improvement projects to pursue, based on the data.

Spread and sustainability are important concepts in the NIATx model. Ten Provider Organizations were participants in the first grant year and are continuing in the second year. In the second year, Wisconsin is adding 15 new Provider Organizations. If funding is continued into the third year, continuing this spread to other motivated and committed agencies is planned.

To promote sustainability, the staff members at participating Treatment Agencies are trained in the principles of the NIATx Improvement Process through three face-to-face learning sessions per calendar year. They participate in monthly provider teleconference calls to support and promote continued rapid cycling quality improvement projects and network with other providers. Once the grant has ended, Wisconsin is hopeful that organizations will continue with the quality improvement principles that they have learned to be effective in their organization.