CENTER FOR POLICY RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
Translating Research into Policy Solutions
Director: Mady Chalk, Ph.D.

New! Assistance for Substance Abuse Policy Makers.

Mutual Assistance Program for States “MAPS”: Mady Chalk, Ph.D., Jack Kemp
Formed in 2006, this select group of state substance abuse directors regularly meets with TRI and other topical experts to discuss timely issues (health care reform; organizational issues including lessons learned from other industries, etc.) MAPS semi-annual meetings are also the venue where members review progress on pilot implementation/evaluation projects of the directors’ choosing. The goal of MAPS is advancement of quality improvement in treatment of substance use disorders.

Forum on Integration: Mady Chalk, Ph.D.
Dr. Chalk and others from TRI are leading a SAMHSA/CSAT-funded project to accelerate integration of appropriate services for substance use conditions in health care settings. A late-April, 2010 kick-off meeting showcased innovative programs in fourteen different health care organizations across the country, concentrating on financing barriers and other issues that must be overcome for comprehensive substance use screening in medical settings to gain widespread implementation.

Medication Assisted Treatment: Mady Chalk, Ph.D.
In this project funded by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, a blue-ribbon panel led by Mady Chalk, Ph.D. met November, 2008 to discuss economic and policy impediments to medication assisted treatment (MAT) for substance use disorders. Next steps will be based on action strategies developed by the expert panel, including a specific focus on MAT in criminal justice..

NQF Treatment Standards: Mady Chalk, Ph.D., Richard Rawson, Ph.D. (UCLA), Jack Kemp
TRI and the University of California–Los Angeles are convening stakeholder workshops to disseminate information about the National Quality Forum standards for treatment of substance use disorders and explore implementation issues in public and private sector treatment systems. The project is funded by grant from the Open Society Institute. A workshop for states was hosted by TRI September 24 and attended by representatives of 25 states.

Advancing Recovery: Mady Chalk, Ph.D.
Under a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, TRI and the Network for Improvement of Addiction Treatment (NIATx) are co-directing “Advancing Recovery: State Provider Partnerships for Quality Addiction Care.” The project is providing technical assistance and coaching to competitively selected partnerships of state agencies and treatment providers to increase the use of evidence-based administrative and clinical practices in the treatment of addictions.

Addiction Studies Program: Jack Kemp, Douglas Marlowe, J.D., Ph.D., Mady Chalk, Ph.D., Deni Carise, Ph.D.
This NIDA-funded project was co-founded in 1999 by the Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the National Families in Action, originally as an educational series for journalists. In 2005, a separate series for legislators was added when TRI and the National Conference of State Legislatures became project partners. Acknowledging that issues of addiction are challenging and cross-cutting at the State level, beginning in 2007 the series pairs legislators with their Executive branch counterparts in workshops covering fiscal, substance abuse treatment and prevention, health, criminal justice, child welfare, and other issues. September 2009 Workshop.

Program to Integrate Substance Use Issues into Mainstream Healthcare “PRISM”
Launched in 2002 by TRI and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, this groundbreaking project sought to engage doctors and other primary care specialists in patient substance use issues by demonstrating that the course, treatment and outcomes of many common medical conditions could be affected by drinking and drug taking, even at levels below the threshold for addiction. In 2006, persuaded by still-emerging findings, four of the nation’s most respected medical societies joined the project. By 2008, final project results were replete with evidence of the effects of alcohol and other drug use on chronic medical conditions.

Educating State Legislators on the Outcomes of Addiction Treatment and Approaches to Measuring Performance: A. Thomas McLellan, Ph.D., Mady Chalk, Ph.D., Deni Carise, Ph.D., Douglas Marlowe, J.D., Ph.D.
In 2009 this SAMHSA-funded project ended its final phase of bringing scientists to State capitols to discuss ways the quality of addiction treatment can be improved through performance measurement. The many topics covered at these locally-designed briefings included monitoring outcomes of expenditures, tracking return on investment, re-directing savings through cost-offset studies, developing performance-based contracting systems, and improving purchasing practices. Funded under Partners for Recovery through Abt Associates, the project was led by the State Associations of Addictions Services with TRI and NCSL.

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