NIATx Overview and Model
The Department was awarded a three-year grant, Strengthening treatment Access and Retention-State Implementation (STAR-SI), from SAMHSA to increase access and retention in treatment using the NIATx model for quality improvement. Though the grant ended in September 2009, ODADAS continues to diffuse the model at the Department as well as the prevention, treatment and recovery field in Ohio. NIATx is a partnership with a variety of organizations, including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse and operates out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The model has four AIMS for treatment and five key principles, which can be applied across disciplines:
Treatment AIMS
1) Reduce waiting times;
2) Reduce no-shows;
3) Increase admissions; and
4) Increase continuation.
Five Key Principles
1) Understand and involve the customer;
2) Fix key problems (What keeps the CEO sleep up at night?);
3) Pick a powerful Change Leader;
4) Get ideas from outside organizations or field; and
5) Do rapid-cycle testing.
NIATx offers several tools, techniques and features to increase access and retention. These include, but are not limited to: ? walk-through; ? flowcharting; ? nominal group communication; ? plan, do, study and act (PDSA) cycle; ? Change Leaders and Change Teams; Executive Sponsors; ? marketing methods such as storytelling and elevator speeches; and ? sustainability strategies. Visit https://www.niatx.net/Content/ContentPage.aspx?NID=2 for further information.
In addition, NIATx now offers an e-learning course, Process Improvement 101. This 60-minute course divided into seven segments provides an excellent overview of NIATx, prepares organizations to conduct a walk-through https://www.niatx.net/Content/ContentPage.aspx?NID=32 and outlines promising practices. Visit https://www.niatx.net/Content/ContentPage.aspx?NID=545 to begin the course at no charge.