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Altarum Wins $7 Million Contract to Provide Technical Assistance to the Access to Recovery Program

Posted on: Tuesday, 2 October 2007, 09:01 CDT

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Altarum Institute today announced that it has been awarded a $7 million contract to provide technical assistance to the Access to Recovery program (ATR), administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contract, with two additional option years for another $10 million, is the largest health care award ever received by the nonprofit institute.

"The Access to Recovery program is a prime example of why taking a systems view matters in the delivery of health care services," said Altarum CEO Linc Smith. "ATR is a holistic, systems-based approach to recovery from substance use disorders. ATR puts patients at the center, giving them the tools and the power to make informed choices about which providers offer the services that will best suit them and best equip them to live productive lives in the community."

The ATR program begins with the understanding that substance use recovery is not a linear event. It can involve relapses and other setbacks. Individuals often need to move through different phases of care during their healing, including acute clinical treatment, rehabilitation and maintenance programs. The program offers vouchers to clients so individuals can seek the form of treatment that most meets their needs.

"ATR helps empower patients from the very beginning in the fight for their life. Access to Recovery provides individuals the flexibility to find their own path to recovery," said SAMHSA Administrator Terry Cline, Ph.D.

ATR also fosters other systems-based change, including greater collaboration across government and other agencies that interact with people dealing with substance use disorders, including government departments of justice, corrections, employment, child welfare and faith-based as well as secular providers of support services.

The ATR program is administered through grants to states and Indian territories across the nation, operating in 18 states, five tribal organizations and the District of Columbia.

Altarum will provide technical assistance to support the grantees in the implementation of their voucher-based programs and the management of these recovery-oriented systems of care. Among other things, this may include helping grantees strengthen program-related business processes and infrastructure; fashion a diverse, competency-based workforce to staff the program; or create structures and conditions to implement a voucher-based service system. Altarum will work directly with state and tribal grantees and their community-based partners to provide staff and consulting expertise as well as develop training materials and publications, assist in collecting and analyzing performance and outcome data, and conduct annual grantee meetings.

Altarum Institute (http://www.altarum.org/) is a nonprofit health systems research institute. Altarum helps government clients research and apply health systems solutions to improve our nation's health.

Altarum Institute

CONTACT: Jeff Moore of Altarum Institute, +1-703-575-1685,jeff.moore@altarum.org

Web site: http://www.altarum.org/

Source: PRNewswire

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