Access to Recovery (ATR)
Funded by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), Texas has initiated a project to support treatment and recovery support for eligible drug court offenders, probationers, and Child Protective Service (CPS) clients. Supporting treatment and recovery for this population is intended to have an impact on reducing the overall prevalence of substance use problems in Texas by addressing interacting cycles of addiction and crime, and is expected to reduce other economic costs associated with public health and safety issues. The ATR initiative increases access to substance abuse services through independent assessment, participant choice of service providers, service linkages with faith based and community based organizations, and an electronic voucher method of payment. Services available through the system include assessment, clinical treatment, and recovery support.
The Gulf Coast Addiction Technology Transfer Center (GCATTC) collaborated with DSHS in designing and implementing the ATR project in community consortia throughout the state of Texas. As of 2006, the Texas project sites expanded to provide substance abuse treatment and recovery support services for drug court participants, probationers, and CPS clients located in Bexar, Brooks, Burnet, Collin, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Bend, Grayson, Harris, Jim Wells, Lubbock, Tarrant, and Travis counties. The GCATTC provides support for provider trainings and ongoing consultation to the project on the transfer and use of best practices. In addition, the GCATTC recently implemented a program to evaluate client satisfaction.
The ATR project director at the Texas Department of State Health Services is Karen Eells. The lead evaluator at ARI is Dr. Laurel Mangrum.
NEW:
- Creating Access to Recovery through Drug Courts – Final Evaluation Report for the Texas Department of State Health Services (June 2008). University of Texas Addiction Research Institute. View the report.
- Mangrum, L.F., Steinley-Bumgarner, M., & Eells, K. (2008, July). Recovery support outcomes: Client and service characteristics associated with successful completion of ATR services. Poster presented at the annual Research Society on Alcoholism Conference, Washington DC. View the poster.
- Mangrum, L. F. (2008, June). Recovery support services and client outcomes: Results of two interim evaluations in Texas. Paper presented at the annual College on Problems of Drug Dependence Conference, San Juan, PR. View the presentation.
- Mangrum, L. F. (2008, June). Recovery oriented systems of care: An examination of ecovery support service types and client outcomes. Poster presented at the annual College on Problems of Drug Dependence Conference, San Juan, PR. View the poster.
- Eells, K. (2007, November). Participant choice – Access to recovery as a voucher service delivery model. Paper presented to the National Summit on Prisoner Re-Entry, sponsored by the White House Office of Community and Faith-Based Initiatives, Los Angeles, CA. View the presentation.
- Mangrum, L. F. (2007, December). Recovery support services and client outcomes: What do the data tell us? Paper presented at the Recovery Community Services Program Grantee Meeting, Baltimore, MD.View the presentation.
- Mangum, L.F., Steinley-Bumbarner, M, & Eells, K. (2007, October). The Texas Access to Recovery (ATR) project: A Comparison of characteristics and treatment outcomes of criminal justice clients. Poster presented at the annual Addiction Health Services Research conference, Athens, Ga. View the AHSR Poster 2007.
- Mangrum, L. F. (2007, September). Preliminary Outcomes of the Texas Access to Recovery Project Paper presented at the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Compassion in Action Roundtable, Washington, DC.
- Creating Access to Recovery through Drug Courts - Interim Evaluation Report for the Texas Deportment of State Health Services (February 2007). University of Texas Addiction Research Institute.
- Statewide Report Summarizing Client Satisfaction Data for 4th Quarter
Training Opportunities:
Required ATR Training for Providers
Training for court staff, treatment and recovery support providers is required. Organizations who want to learn more about ATR should participate in a program training conference call. Conference calls are held the first and third Wednesday of each month. To verify details, email Jennifer LaBarbera at jennifer.labarbera@dshs.state.tx.us
Announcements
Important Web Sites
- DSHS ATR Web Site
- National Drug Court Institute / National Association of Drug Court Professionals
- Texas Association of Drug Court Professionals
Documents of Interest
- Drug Court Activity Update
- Drug Court Monitoring, Evaluation, and Management Information Systems: National Scope Needs Assessment
- Defining Drug Courts: The Key Components
- Painting the Current Picture: A National Report Card on Drug Courts and Other Problem Solving Court Programs in the United States
- The Future of Drug Courts: How States Are Mainstreaming the Drug Court Model
- Research on Drug Courts: A Critical Review, 2001 Update
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