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Rhode Island,
Conn. receive Access to
Recovery grants
(December
2007 Issue)
By Phyllis Hanlon
The Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Access to Recovery
(ATR) grant program has awarded approximately $300 million and helped
more than 170,000 people with substance abuse problems since its
launch in August 2004, according to the Substance Abuse & Mental
Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In September, HHS awarded
an additional $98 million. Two New England states were among grant
recipients.
First-time recipient Rhode Island wrote its application collaboratively
with the Department of Corrections and the Department of Children,
Youth and Families (DCYF), according to Craig Stenning, executive
director of the division of behavioral healthcare. He indicates
that the grant will target individuals released from the adult correctional
institution, juveniles from the training school and parents/ guardians
with DCYF connections.
Rhode Island will implement a voucher system that covers treatment
services and recovery support, including detoxification, individual
and group counseling, residential treatment, case management, family
and marital counseling and co-occurring disorder therapy, according
to Stenning.
Recovery support involves a type of "wraparound services," notes
Stenning. Clients will receive transportation to and from recovery
group meetings and/or employment, job training, modified housing,
self-help groups, life skills training, parent education, spiritual
and peer-based services, as well as child care so participants can
attend treatment-related activities.
"In the past, people ended treatment and that ended their involvement
unless they voluntarily joined Alcoholics Anonymous or some other
group," says Stenning. "The recovery services voucher will pay for
services to increase the likelihood that the individual will remain
drug free and not return to jail."
Existing and new agencies, including faith and peer-based organizations,
will receive training on data collection, outcome measurement, voucher
services and provider requirements in accordance with federal regulations,
says Stenning. He points out that one goal of the grant is to create
services that represent an expansion and not merely a replacement
of those currently available.
Rhode Island will receive $2.75 million annually for three years.
Connecticut will divide its three-year award of $4.83 million/year
into clinical and recovery support services, says William Halsey,
project director. He explains that the funds will aid adults with
substance use diagnoses who have been involved with the criminal
justice system, specifically those on probation and parole and individuals
involved with the Department of Children and Families (DCF).
Connecticut's ATR grant will focus on the same recovery support
services as Rhode Island with the addition of educational/vocational
services and attention to basic needs. The Recovery Management Checkup
will allow providers to be paid for maintaining involvement with
the service recipient to ensure abstinence.
Halsey points out that this is the second ATR award the state has
received. "We will build a Web-based system this time. Providers
can log in and register service recipients and get authorization,"
he says. Since some providers are unfamiliar with fee-for-service
payment systems, training will include technical aspects of documenting
services and generating invoices. The software was scheduled for
launch in mid-November.
Connecticut has focused on dual diagnoses and plans to certify
"co-occurring enhanced" providers and pay a higher rate for services,
according to Halsey. The state has contracted with several Sober
Houses already and looks forward to introducing buprenorphine therapy,
which is similar to methadone treatment for opiate addiction.
Halsey believes the inclusion of faith and peer-based organizations
will boost the success rate of the ATR grant-funded services. "This
is a great entry point to the system of care. These organizations
have been in the community a long time and have built trust. Individuals
with behavioral health diagnoses may seek faith or peer case management
before looking for formal treatment," says Halsey. "Connecting all
providers will increase access." He indicates that services will
be phased in once training and certification has been completed.
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