Latest News

Partners for Recovery Sponsors Briefings for State Legislatures

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, through the Partners for Recovery Initiative, has sponsored the development and implementation of a series of briefings designed to educate State legislators and their staff on the effectiveness of addictions treatment, appropriate performance and outcome measures, and how to best ensure accountability in publicly funded addictions treatment.

Entitled, The Outcomes of Addictions Treatment and Approaches to Monitoring Performance, the series, which began in 2005, is a collaborative effort of the State Associations of Addiction Services (SAAS), the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and the Treatment Research Institute (TRI). To date, general briefings have been held at the NCSL Annual Forum in Washington, D.C., at the NCSL Annual Conference, and at a meeting of the NCSL Critical Health Areas Project (CHAP), which is designed to support leadership and expertise among State legislators in critical health areas, including addictions treatment and prevention.   The session at the CHAP meeting, which took place in December 2006, was video-recorded and will be made available online through the PFR website.  It features A. Thomas McLellan, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of the Treatment Research Institute, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania; Kenneth Stark, M.Ed., MBA, Director of Washington State’s mental health transformation efforts and former Washington Single State Authority for Substance Abuse Services; and, Rebecca M. Crowell, M.Ed., Ed.S., LPC, LCDC, Executive Director of Nexus Recovery Center, Inc., Dallas, Texas

The majority of briefings have been held in State capitols at the request of legislators.  State-specific sessions are customized to meet the needs of the requesting State. Legislators, legislative staff, the Single State Authority (SSA) for substance abuse services and a representative of an addictions treatment provider association are invited to attend. These sessions are intended not only to brief legislators and their staff members, but also to spark dialogue among State legislators, the State agency responsible for funding and regulating addictions treatment, and treatment providers.

To date, briefings have been held in Montpelier, Vermont; Boston, Massachusetts; Denver, Colorado; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Concord, New Hampshire; Albany, New York; and, Casper, Wyoming.   Three additional sessions are planned.  One session is scheduled for Raleigh, North Carolina on October 31, 2007.  Discussions are under way with additional States interested in holding a session.

The educational objectives of the series include:

• Informing State legislators about measuring performance and outcomes in addictions treatment and updating them on current developments (e.g., evaluation as an ongoing source of feedback to support quality improvement and SAMHSA's National Outcome Measures).
• Establishing appropriate expectations for treatment programs among legislators and legislative staff.
• Strengthening the ability of State legislators to analyze, propose, enact, and evaluate legislation and policies on the prevention and treatment of addictive disorders.
• Providing resources that legislators can call on as they carry out their responsibilities for funding and oversight.
• Promoting ongoing learning and collaboration on issues of performance measurement among State legislators, State officials, and prevention and treatment providers.

The series has consistently received an enthusiastic reception from legislators, who have actively participated in sessions. In addition, sessions have often engendered dialogue among legislators, Single State Authorities for addictions services and treatment providers.  Beginning in 2007, an evaluation component has been added to measure both the satisfaction of participating legislators and the extent to which the series has impacted policy, regulatory and funding decisions by legislators.  Legislators desiring more information regarding the series are encouraged to contact the NCSL.

- Top of Page -

PFR/ATTCs sponsor Leadership Institutes

In collaboration with the national network of Addiction Technology Transfer Centers (ATTCs), Partners for Recovery is sponsoring 13 regional Leadership Institutes across the country to begin to address the need to identify, train, and mentor individuals who will become leaders in substance use disorder treatment and recovery.

The Leadership Institutes are part of the overall strategy of Partners for Recovery to develop emerging leaders and to build capacity to meet both the organizational and system demands of the field. Based on the tremendous success of the October 2003 pilot institute hosted by the Southern Coast ATTC, the five-day training is currently being hosted by regional ATTCs across the country.

Please take a minute to look at our Leadership Schedule (contact your local ATTC for more information).

- Top of Page -

"Strengthening Professional Identity: Challenges of the Addictions Treatment Workforce" released and "Report to Congress: Addictions Treatment Workforce Development" submitted

The field report “Strengthening Professional Identity: Challenges of the Addictions Treatment Workforce,” by Abt Associates Inc. and the “Report to Congress: Addictions Treatment Workforce Development,” by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) were recently released.  These two reports describe a mounting workforce crisis in the addictions treatment field related to worker shortages, inadequate compensation, and insufficient professional development, as well as the stigma attached to the addictions treatment field. 

“Strengthening Professional Identity” sought input from many groups and identifies the extent of the challenges facing addictions treatment professionals.

Both reports recommend developing career paths for the addictions treatment workforce that incorporate national core competency standards, technical assistance to improve administrative and information technology processes, and leadership and academic initiatives, including addictions treatment training for primary care providers and other health services professionals. 

PFR hosts five regional recovery meetings

Fostering and developing Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care (ROSC) is a priority of SAMHSA/CSAT.  ROSC refers to a philosophy of how systems should operate to provide support to individuals with substance use problems and disorders.  They are systems which are integrated, comprehensive, flexible, outcomes-driven and uniquely individualized.  The integration of systems offers a fully coordinated menu of services and supports to maximize choice.  PFR is holding five regional meetings across the country to assist States and communities in developing, strengthening, and implementing ROSC.

- Top of Page -