Author: niatxfou

  • Now Hiring: Customer Engagement and Operations Professional

    Now Hiring: Customer Engagement and Operations Professional

    Job Title: Vice President, Customer Engagement and Operations
    Location: Remote
    Job Type: Half- to Full-Time
    Supervisor: Reports to the President

    Job Summary

    The NIATx (Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment) Foundation is seeking a dynamic and results-driven professional to lead new client engagement, nurture and expand existing client relationships, and oversee the implementation of NIATx tools into the operations of treatment/recovery programs, as well as health systems.  This multifaceted position requires a strong focus on customer service, effective organizational skills, creative problem-solving, and the ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.

    The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in developing growth opportunities; establishing and sustaining client relationships; managing projects; assessing new markets, partnerships, and grant funding; and working with health systems/services, health insurance plans, Federal, State, and Local Healthcare entities, health-related philanthropies, and Federal, State, and Local Healthcare authorities.

    Key Responsibilities

    The Vice President of Customer Engagement and Operations is responsible for:

    • Developing and initiating relationships with new clients, stakeholders, and partners to increase the adoption of NIATx solutions and effectively address clients’ critical delivery system needs.
    • Negotiating client engagement contracts on behalf of the President.
    • Developing outcome and milestone measures to assess progress toward project deliverables.
    • Setting up and monitoring a system for client onboarding by consultants.
    • Frequently assessing client satisfaction with NIATx products.
    • Obtaining referrals from existing, satisfied clients to expand the reach of NIATx to additional organizations (e.g., community-based providers, health systems, providers, city, county, and state government, etc.).
    • Reporting to the President on progress being made relative to client engagement, execution of project strategies, and achievement of project deliverables.
    • Serving as a single point of contact for clients to resolve interfaces between client and NIATx staff.
    • Representing NIATx at networking events and conferences to increase awareness of NIATx.
    Required Skills and Qualifications
    • Bachelor’s degree; Master’s degree preferred.
    • Proven experience in business development and a passion for helping client organizations to grow, succeed, and provide better services.
    • Experience with nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, and the public sector.
    • Engagement scoping and budgeting.
    • Familiarity with behavioral health systems and services.
    • Strong verbal and written communication skills.
    • Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to multi-task and prioritize work in a fast-paced environment.
    • Ability to work independently and as part of a team
    • Strong analytical and negotiation skills.
    Why Join Us?
    • Work in a supportive, collaborative environment where your ideas are valued.
    • Develop meaningful projects that make a positive impact on organizations, patients, and communities.
    • Work with a wide range of clients, including stand-alone community agencies, healthcare providers, networks of service providers, and State and Federal governmental agencies.
    Benefits
    • Flexible work environment, including remote work options.
    • Opportunity to work with a spectrum of service providers working in diverse settings and across multiple areas of business.
    • Competitive compensation package with performance-based bonuses..
    Apply Now

    Email your resume to niatxfoundation@gmail.com.

  • Minimizing Regulatory Paperwork for Counselors and Improving SUD Systems

    Minimizing Regulatory Paperwork for Counselors and Improving SUD Systems

    Challenge

    Excessive paperwork burden is one of the leading causes of burnout among behavioral health providers, reducing the time they can spend on patient care and creating inefficiencies in the timely delivery of services. Nearly every step in the process of caring for an individual with substance use disorder (SUD) comes with multiple documentation requirements for counselors.

    Solution

    To address regulatory paperwork challenges, the team of NIATx and Advocates for Human Potential (AHP) has developed a process that evaluates the following types of paperwork-related issues: lengthy intake assessments, duplicate intake questions, duplicate assessments triggered by co-occurring conditions, group therapy requiring multiple entries in different places, and comprehensive assessments repeated upon readmission.

    The AHP-NIATx team implemented the following steps to develop recommendations focused on helping the State of Minnesota minimize regulatory paperwork for counselors, while improving SUD systems:

    • Assessed the current state of paperwork requirements.
    • Conducted an environmental scan of alternative licensing approaches.
    • Performed site visits and key informative interviews with stakeholders.
    • Reviewed existing statutes and regulations.
    • Assessed and mapped processes and requirements.
    • Consulted with stakeholder groups.

    Outcomes

    Once recommendations from the process are implemented, counselors will be less burdened with inefficiencies related to regulatory paperwork, while consumers will have quicker access to treatment and receive more patient-centered treatment. 

  • Guidance for Implementing the ASAM Criteria

    Guidance for Implementing the ASAM Criteria

    Virtual 2-Day Event | April 29-30, 2025 | 9:30 am – 4:30 pm ET

    About the Event

    Through partnership with the NIATx Foundation, Train for Change will provide an ASAM Implementation Guide training that helps organizations utilize NIATx’s evidence-based process improvement model to help treatment programs and systems improve care and find a balance between fidelity to standards and the flexibility to meet the needs of patients. This training is essential for leadership to implement the Criteria and make organizational changes that support its fidelity.

    Focusing on the NIATx Five Principles, the training provides a science-based foundation for evolving a culture of continuous improvement within the organization, not only for The Criteria but for any improvement or implementation project, Trauma Informed Care, Motivational Interviewing, CBT, Decreasing “no shows,” EHR, Treatment Plan Quality, Documentation, etc.

    Register Now
    Key Takeaways

    Participants will:

    • Learn a system of change through the NIATx methods
    • Understand how to use the ASAM Criteria Guiding Principles to identify and initiate improvements
    • Understand the role of a Change Leader in facilitating implementation and improvement
    • Conceptualize how to support the “neutral zone” and how to rethink “resistance”
    • Develop strategies for addressing staff needs during implementation and change
    • Develop additional expertise and understanding of the ASAM Criteria so they can supervise, educate, and coach others.

    This training includes:

    • 1 copy of the ASAM Criteria Implementation Guide for each participant
    • 1 hour of coaching post-training (must be completed within three months after training completion
    Prerequisites
    • Completion of a 2-day ASAM Criteria Skill Building Training (3rd or 4th Edition)
    • Competency with ASAM Criteria
    • Possession of the Third or Fourth Edition of the ASAM Criteria
    About the Trainer

    Scott Boyles is a licensed addiction counselor, MINT trainer and the Senior National Training Director for Train for Change Inc.® Mr. Boyles has spent more than three decades in the behavioral health field and has many years of experience working with the ASAM Criteria. Mr. Boyles is one of the original early adopters of the ASAM criteria, starting in 1991.Before becoming a full-time trainer, Mr. Boyles used the criteria professionally as a counselor and director. From 2007-2011, Mr. Boyles also served as a member of the ASAM Steering Committee for the ASAM Patient Placement Criteria. He also spent many years as a site reviewer, monitoring programs’ application of the criteria. Mr. Boyles’ experience at all levels of service and observation has enabled him to understand trainees’ needs in both education and application at different levels of the service system. Since 1993, he has trained more than 8,000 people in proper use of the criteria. Mr. Boyles has passion and expertise in system-change approaches to support effective implementation and use of the ASAM criteria. He is well-known for his information, engaging, and entertaining trainings, which include practical, real-world applications.

    Register Now

  • Study on Expanding Pharmacy Roles in Treating OUD

    Study on Expanding Pharmacy Roles in Treating OUD

    Access to treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) is a challenge in rural settings and communities of color due, in part, to the limited availability of healthcare providers equipped and willing to provide medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Recent discussion has explored the role of pharmacies in enhancing access to MOUD within underserved areas. However, pharmacies face multiple obstacles related to expanded responsibilities in dispensing MOUD, especially in rural and other communities.

    To address this issue, the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) funded a study (CTN-0124) to examine the practicality of expanding pharmacy roles in treating OUD in underserved communities.

    The NIATx Foundation helped to lead the nine-month engineering systems analysis, assessing the existing system, envisioning an ideal future state, identifying gaps, and highlighting improvement opportunities. The study, Delivering MOUD to the Underserved: How Can Pharmacies Really Helped?, was published in the October 15, 2024 edition of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

  • Implementing Evidence-based Practices to Address SUD

    Implementing Evidence-based Practices to Address SUD

    Challenge

    The opioid and other substance use crises remain one of the nation’s most pressing public health challenges. Despite the recognized efficacy of pharmacotherapy, the challenge of implementing evidence-based practice (EBP) persists, with several barriers hindering the successful implementation of medications for opioid use disorder (OUD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Combatting the substance use disorder (SUD) crisis requires effective approaches that employ a comprehensive strategy for implementing EBPs that work in conjunction with behavioral therapies.

    Solution

    States play a pivotal role as public policy champions in shaping and advancing transformative healthcare practices, such as the broad use of pharmacotherapies for SUDs. Hospital emergency departments (EDs) can further serve as a critical access point for individuals to start treatment for SUD.

    The State of Vermont has become a trendsetter in treating OUDs by developing the Hub-and-Spoke (H&S) model of SUD treatment. Building on this foundation, Vermont introduced the Rapid Access to Medication (RAM) for OUD initiative and the subsequent Rapid Treatment Access (RTA) for AUD initiative to improve the responsiveness of the treatment system for individuals seeking SUD treatment.

    Both initiatives leveraged team-based and individual learning collaborative sessions using change strategy tools, such as NIATx coaching, the walk-through, and the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles. Vermont’s implementation approach’s core components involved selecting a relevant aim, assembling dedicated teams, pilot testing, providing individual and group coaching to practitioners, and emphasizing continuous improvement.

    The Time-to-Treatment Tracking Tool (T5) and Incentive Payment Opportunity (IPO) provided financial incentives for providers who accomplished items on a checklist within three days of treatment initiation, ranging from conducting community provider sessions to providing rapid treatment access. The T5 helped identify both real and perceived barriers to treatment access and pinpoint gaps in service provision.

    Outcomes

    In the RAM project, 13 out of 14 Vermont-based hospital EDs established protocols for starting individuals with OUD on MOUD, along with a warm handoff to a designated outpatient treatment provider for continuation after discharge. These individuals are also offered support from a recovery coach in the ED. In the RTA program, 92% of respondents engaged in improving access to AUD treatment, and 100% of respondents supported using medication to manage alcohol withdrawal.

    The innovative approach used to refine and improve Vermont’s substance use treatment landscape has brought about transformative change in addressing OUD and AUD. The RAM and RTA initiatives are creating a paradigm shift in the provision of treatment, with the State taking the lead in promoting a timeliness standard for MOUD and AUD service initiation. These initiatives recognize and reward an integrated community-based treatment system responsive to individuals seeking treatment. They further support hospital EDs in starting individuals on medications to treat OUD and AUD during an ED stay and facilitating access to continued medication after discharge.

    Vermont is well-positioned to proceed with the RAM and RTA initiatives. Of equal importance, these initiatives present a replicable framework for spreading and scaling up EBPs in other states to address three clear aims:

    • Initiate treatment for OUD or AUD, including medications, within three days of initial contact.
    • Eliminate barriers to access.
    • Ensure continuation of care.
  • CLAS Standards as a Catalyst for Prevention: A Learning Collaborative

    CLAS Standards as a Catalyst for Prevention: A Learning Collaborative

    Overview

    The Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Standards as a Catalyst for Prevention: A Learning Collaborative (CLAS Learning Collaborative) gave participants the skills to improve service delivery and integrate culturally responsive strategies into their organizational structures. The CLAS Learning Collaborative presented cultural competence not as a distinct knowledge base, but as a framework to incorporate CLAS Standards, leadership development, and process improvement into the inner workings of an organization.

    Process

    A request for applications was announced, and participation was open to OhioMHAS-certified prevention agencies. Eleven unique prevention agencies serving urban, rural, and suburban communities in NE, NW, Central, and SW Ohio, as well as Appalachia Ohio, were selected to participate in the learning collaborative.

    Twenty-nine participants representing the 11 agencies attended a two-day summit to initiate prevention and agency-specific CLAS Standards change projects. All agencies were given the opportunity to assess their agency’s understanding and utilization of the National CLAS Standards using a customized NIATx Foundation CLAS Assessment (NFCA™) tool provided by Prevention Action Alliance in collaboration with NIATx. This assessment was used as the baseline measurement to track progress and outcomes for the project.

    A combination of collaborative and individual organization coaching sessions were provided during the three months after the summit. All teams participated in these learning collaborative webinars during the implementation phase of the collaborative to share ideas, successes, and challenges with others in the collaborative. Throughout the process, the learning collaborative coaches provided technical assistance through Zoom meetings, phone, and email feedback on plans and implementation. This included a review of each organization’s strategic plan prior to implementation.

    At the conclusion of the CLAS Learning Collaborative, all the participating organizations came together to celebrate and present their respective change project in a “5×5” PowerPoint presentation (i.e., five slides in five minutes).

    Next Steps

    The trainers will be meeting with each agency again to review their NIATx Foundation CLAS Assessment (NFCA™) and progress made over the course of the project. A more formal report will be created and published. The collaborative team will continue to meet and consider ways to support this group of CLAS Standards Collaborative alumni, as well as ways that we can expand upon this work.

    Read more…

  • Virtual Training: ASAM Criteria

    Virtual Training: ASAM Criteria

    Starts March 14, 2024

    The NIATx Foundation is partnering with Train for Change to provide an ASAM Implementation Guide training that aids organizations in using NIATx’s evidence-based process improvement model to help treatment programs and systems improve care and find a balance between fidelity to standards and the flexibility to meet the needs of patients. This training is essential for leadership to implement the ASAM Criteria and make organizational changes that support its fidelity.

    This training teaches the NIATx model for process improvement in conjunction with the ASAM Criteria Implementation Guide as a foundational, straightforward way to implement, improve and sustain fidelity to the ASAM Criteria. Focusing on the NIATx Five Principles, the training provides a science-based foundation for evolving a culture of continuous improvement within the organization, not only for the ASAM Criteria but for any improvement or implementation project, Trauma Informed Care, Motivational Interviewing, CBT, Decreasing “no shows,” EHR, Treatment Plan Quality, Documentation, etc.

    This training is an evolution of a Training for Trainers model. It goes beyond the single strategy and frequently ineffective belief that more trainers and training creates change. Although training and local expertise is an important component of implementation, it is commonly the only piece and is typically ineffective for implementation and sustainability.

    Dates

    This training consists of FIVE 2-hour sessions (one session/week for 5 weeks):

    Session 1: March 14
    Session 2: March 21
    Session 3: March 28
    Session 4: April 4
    Session 5: April 11

    Registration

    This event is open to the public. The registration fee is $649.00/person and includes a printable electronic handout and/or an electronic training journal to use as a resource during the training. For more information, please contact: candacel@trainforchange.net or call 1-775-434-1562.

    Register to Attend

    Details

    Training includes:

    • 2.0 NAADAC Continuing Education Credits (CEs) per session for a total of 10 CEs.
    • A copy of “The ASAM Criteria Implementation Guide”

    Note: Participants must attend all 5 sessions to receive CEs. Full attendance and participation is required in all 5 sessions to receive full credit. Partial credit cannot be issued. Sessions cannot be made up at a later date. ABSOLUTELY NO REFUNDS WILL BE ISSUED IF A SESSION IS MISSED.

    Pre-requisites:

    • Completion of a 2-day ASAM Criteria Skill Building Training (3rd or 4th Edition)
    • Possession of the Third or Fourth Edition of the ASAM Criteria (separate purchase)
    • Competency with ASAM Criteria
    • Agreement to complete up to 1 hour of out-of-session work between sessions

    About the Trainers

    Scott Boyles is a licensed addiction counselor, MINT trainer and the Senior National Training Director for Train for Change Inc.® Mr. Boyles has spent more than three decades in the behavioral health field and has many years of experience working with the ASAM Criteria. Mr. Boyles is one of the original early adopters of the ASAM criteria, starting in 1991.Before becoming a full-time trainer, Mr. Boyles used the criteria professionally as a counselor and director. From 2007-2011, Mr. Boyles also served as a member of the ASAM Steering Committee for the ASAM Patient Placement Criteria. He also spent many years as a site reviewer, monitoring programs’ application of the criteria. Mr. Boyles’ experience at all levels of service and observation has enabled him to understand trainees’ needs in both education and application at different levels of the service system. Since 1993, he has trained more than 8,000 people in proper use of the criteria. Mr. Boyles has passion and expertise in system-change approaches to support effective implementation and use of the ASAM criteria. He is well-known for his information, engaging, and entertaining trainings, which include practical, real-world applications.

    Mathew Roosa, LCSW-R is a consultant who provides training, coaching, technical assistance and planning support to universities, research studies, governments and health and human service provider organizations. He was a founding member of NIATx, and currently works part time at the UW Madison Center for Health Enhancement Systems Studies (CHESS). Focusing on quality/ process improvement and implementation of evidence based practices, Mr. Roosa’s experience also includes psychotherapy for mental health and substance use in agencies and private practice, teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels in Human Services and Social Work, agency administration, and governmental planning.

    Register to Attend
  • ASAM Criteria Implementation Webinar

    ASAM Criteria Implementation Webinar

    Thursday, January 25, 2024 | 11:00 am – 12:00 pm PST

    We invite you to join us for a live recording of our conversation with special guests Matthew Roosa, Maureen Boyle, Todd Molfenter, and Scott Boyles on Thursday, January 25 at 11:00 am PST.

    This webinar will provide a brief introduction to the ASAM Criteria Implementation Guide and the new training, “Implementation, Improvement, Sustainability, and Coaching of the ASAM Criteria: A How-to, Science-Based Approach,” offered in partnership with the NIATx Foundation and Train For Change.

    Register to Attend
    About Train for Change

    Train for Change, a division of The Change Companies, bridges the gap between knowledge of “what works” in addiction treatment and helping providers develop requisite skills in these practices for use in real-world settings.

  • Creating Change for Program and Service Improvement

    Creating Change for Program and Service Improvement

    Challenge

    As one of the largest providers of community-based health services and housing in New York State, Services for the Underserved (S:US) provides services to make sure every New Yorker has a home and can create a life of purpose. S:US values continuous quality improvement and engages in ongoing efforts to improve its services and internal practice.

    S:US recently experienced a transition in leadership, including the creation of an Innovation and Quality (I&Q) Team with new staff tasked with working on S:US programs in partnership with senior leadership, program evaluation, and Quality Assurance (QA) Teams. This presented an opportunity to explore alternatives for enhancing the quality of S:US’s services and programs, focusing on the fundamental question: What model would be most effective for orienting the I&Q Team efforts and aligning I&Q with agency priorities?

    Solution

    S:US reached out to several consultants and organizations to help its quality improvement efforts and contracted with the NIATx Foundation as a consultant who could:

    • Directly apply continuous quality improvement (CQI) methods;
    • Offer familiarity with S:US’s program types and licensing bodies; and
    • Provide onsite, hands-on training and coaching.

    NIATx worked with S:US to implement the learning collaborative model, focusing on 11 programs covering a wide range of service types (e.g., supportive housing, homeless services, clinic service, Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), care coordination). The learning collaborative approach provided S:US with a variety of methods for sharing innovative ideas to implement positive change.

    Using this approach, NIATx consultants provided the following services:

    • Developed a plan to support the 11 identified programs, as well as the I&Q Team, with the ultimate objective to transfer the tools and implementation of the model from NIATx to the I&Q Team for ongoing sustainment.
    • Conducted a live meeting with executive leadership to engage and energize executive sponsorship for the I&Q Team’s improvement efforts.
    • Facilitated a Change Leader Academy (CLA) training with supervisors for the 11 programs to implement a structured, team-based approach to change management.
    • Engaged in ongoing monthly coaching for the I&Q Team on the NIATx approach and tools (e.g., walkthroughs, flow charts, nominal group technique) and how to effectively coach their 11 sites through the implementation process.
    • Developed and implemented change projects for the 11 programs.
    • Conducted a mid-project meeting to assess progress and will follow-up with a final meeting to evaluate lessons learned and celebrate results.

    Outcomes

    This project has a six-month timeframe. Over the first half of the project, members of the I&Q Team successfully learned the NIATx approach and have supported program use of the NIATx tools to begin implementing change. The program sites were encouraged to define their own improvement projects and to gather feedback from service recipients, according to the NIATx principal of understanding the customer. The nominal group technique has further helped the I&Q Team members and sites identify strategies for implementing these improvements.

    As this project progresses, the program sites are beginning to incorporate NIATx’s plan-do-study-act (PDSA) change model, developing baseline data, implementing changes, and measuring the results of their efforts. The sites are clearly motivated to seek measurable improvements that enhance the collective experience of the people they serve.

  • Providing the COVID-19 Vaccine

    Providing the COVID-19 Vaccine

    Situation

    Patients were coming to Main Street Addiction Recovery Center unvaccinated and uncertain about getting the COVID vaccine. However, news about filling emergency rooms and spread of the Delta variant has caused growing concern. In addition, the Recovery Center is working to keep their patient population safe and build trust that the facility is a protective environment to receive care. To create this safer environment and offer patients an important public health service, Main Street Addiction Recovery Center decided to commence the braided strategy of administering COVID vaccines.

    There were two key steps required to implement this braided strategy:

    1. The Center had to apply to become a COVID vaccine provider from the local public health department and secure promotional COVID vaccine materials and doses of the vaccine (once approved).
    2. Workflow needed to be adjusted so patients (and even members of the public) could receive the vaccine without interrupting existing clinical workflows.

    Based on NIATx guidance, the Center established a NIATx team to quickly implement the new service. The team completed a NIATx Charter Form, which outlined how the change would be tested and implemented. They developed a flowchart of the new workflow and conducted a patient simulation walkthrough to work out the initial kinks of the service. Once the service was tested on a half-dozen patients, the team reconvened to finalize how the service would be delivered. A private exam room was created off the lobby where patients could get their vaccines, as well as extended release naltrexone injections. The flowchart also included the required steps to receive revenue for the service. Finally, a sustain leader was assigned to the project so the Center can ensure the service continues to work effectively.

    Mutually Beneficial Outcomes of Braided Strategies

    • Patients can conveniently receive a service that could prevent sickness, long-term disability, or even death without having to schedule another appointment, fill out paperwork, etc.
    • The Recovery Center realizes multiple benefits, including:
      • Keeping staff safe.
      • Earning additional (limited) revenue from administering the vaccine.
      • Preventing lost revenue from patients who have avoided the Recovery Center out of concerns for their safety (a reality during the initial COVID pandemic).
      • Establishing the Center’s reputation with patients and the public as more than a behavioral health provider.
    • Of the 140 patients served thus far, there have been zero lost charges and a significant increase in reported patient satisfaction at the ease of getting protection from COVID.