Oral

SAMHSA 2002 data indicated 19 million Americans needed AOD treatment and only 25% successfully access services. This session will review data making a case for improved access and retention in addiction treatment services. Pesentations will highlight how implementation of simple, rapid cycle process improvement can lead to large gains in access and/or retention, even for populations who are more acutely ill and therefore historically less represented in treatment programs. The populations of persons who use substance abuse services are disproportionately affected by other diseases like HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, illnesses related to tobacco use, etc. They represent a disproportionate number of those whose children are at risk, or taken from their custody, as well as immense productivity losses in the workforce. This session will present process and outcome data that identify significant improvement in client-level outcomes in settings implementing rapid cycle process improvement to increase access and retention in addiction treatment.

Session Objectives: 1.Understand how simple process measures and rapid cycle process improvement techniques can be applied in addiction treatment settings and systems to advance the goals of improving treatment access and treatment retention. Describe the four aims and core components of process improvement and various examples of how the model is being applied in addiction treatment settings. 2. Compare and analyze client and program or service outcomes as a result of increasing access and retention to substance abuse, addiction, and co-occurring treatment services. 3. Identify specific evidence based practices implemented as part of process improvement and discuss specific client level outcomes.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)