Youngstown UMADAOP Received Honorable Mention for a NIATx Innovation Award
The Youngstown Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Program (YUMADAOP) received one of the three nationwide honorable mention awards from NIATx for innovation in behavioral health services. YUMADAOP implemented NIATx agency wide in the spring of 2010. Change projects have been continuous ever since, which has expanded and gained new collaborations, partnerships and opportunities resulting in a cost savings of slightly more than $75,000 and increased revenue of $4,000 with consideration for an additional $170,000. Also, an additional 102 participants were served. The YUMADAOP received one free registration to the 2012 SAAS National Conference/NIATx Summit in New Orleans.
Prevention and NIATx Pilot Project
To continue diffusion of the NIATx model throughout Ohio post STAR-SI, the Department began a pilot project with prevention in the spring of 2010. An orientation to NIATx, initial walk-through and technical assistance were given to five agencies or programs: Youngstown Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Program (UMADAOP), Health Recovery Services (Athens), Scioto Paint Valley Mental Health Center (Chillicothe), Cincinnati UMADAOP and Lima UMADAOP. Other sites were added: Asian Services in Action (ASIA), Inc. (Akron) in January 2011, G.L.A.D. House (Cincinnati) in September 2011 and the Warren UMADAOP in April 2012. In addition to the prevention programs, two other agencies were introduced to and are using NIATx: The Drop Inn Center (Cincinnati) and Community Health Center (Akron).
The goal for prevention was established to increase efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability, which aligns with Ohio’s Strategic Prevention Framework – State Incentive Grant (SPF-SIG). The prevention AIMS consist of: ? increase capacity for services and programming; ? increase the use of evidence-based policies, programs, practices and strategies; ? increase performance management; and ? increase staff retention. An evaluation plan was drafted to answer the following questions: 1) Do the AIMS for prevention have an effect on the prevention goal for process improvement based on the NIATx model? 2) What factors might be critical to reach the prevention process improvement goal? 3) Is the prevention process improvement goal on target? 4) How does the NIATx model for process improvement need to be modified to meet the needs of prevention? Focus groups and documentation are used to answer the evaluation questions. And, tools and techniques such as the walk-through worksheet were modified for prevention.
For further information, please contact Ms. Terry Patel at 614-752-8807 or terry.patel@ada.ohio.gov