Starting Monday, October 14th, all specialty addiction treatment facilities in Louisiana are invited to participate in a survey of their practices and services, and to invite their patients to respond to a perception of care survey. This information is being gathered to inform ATLAS™, an addiction treatment locator, analysis, and standards tool being developed by Shatterproof.

Shatterproof, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in America, has selected six states to pilot ATLAS before expanding across the country, and has partnered with Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Behavioral Health on the development and implementation of ATLAS in Louisiana.

Since first announcing Louisiana’s participation in ATLAS earlier this year, partners across the state, including addiction treatment providers, payers, and advocacy organizations, have collaborated with Shatterproof to inform the development and implementation of the initiative. The start of data collection marks an important milestone in the project.

“Over the past eight months we’ve been working with Shatterproof and providers on this important project to drive transparency and quality improvement in the addiction treatment field,” said Karen Stubbs, assistant secretary of the Office of Behavioral Health. “We’re excited to start data collection and want to encourage all of the providers throughout the state to participate. This is an important step toward informing the public of quality options available.”

ATLAS will provide objective, reliable information on the use of best practices at addiction treatment facilities, empowering people impacted by addiction to make informed decisions and navigate this complex system. It will include information on all addiction treatment facilities in the state and will allow users to compare programs side-by-side or filter by criteria important to them, such as their location, program needs, or insurance carrier.

“As we begin to bring the disease of addiction to the forefront of mainstream healthcare it is due time that we ensure the patient has the resources to understand addiction treatment options and make informed decisions about where to seek care in their community,” said Roy Viger, Regional VP of Operations for Avenues Recovery, a New Orleans area treatment facility. “Shatterproof is creating a platform that gives people a place to begin seeking help as they face addiction with their loved ones.  As a leader in the treatment industry I have been part of the State Advisory Committee for this project.  The treatment community is grateful to have our perspectives heard by The Department of Health and Shatterproof as we have helped shape this effort.  I encourage providers across the state to engage in the process to make this a resource our communities can utilize when making decisions about treatment.”  

Providers and other stakeholders will also be able to access more granular data and view trends through password-protected portals on ATLAS. “ATLAS is being designed to support quality improvement, allowing states and payers to make data-driven decisions when directing payment and technical assistance resources, and in modifying policies to support providers in delivering high-quality care” said Samantha Arsenault, Vice President of National Treatment Quality Initiatives at Shatterproof. 

Shatterproof has been working with its state-based and national partners to encourage provider response to the ATLAS Treatment Facility Survey. Addiction treatment providers who receive the ATLAS Treatment Facility Survey but do not respond will still be listed on the ATLAS website with the note that this quality information is not available.

“Creating a standard of measurement across treatment programs is no small task, and CLASPP has been a voice for service providers throughout this pilot’s development,” said Mike Martyn, President of the Coalition of Louisiana Addiction Service and Prevention Providers (CLASPP). “We hope that the program will be successful and better inform those trying to make the best decisions for their treatment and recovery."

ATLAS provides the opportunity for addiction treatment providers to showcase their level of quality, to come together as a field to embrace a common set of standards, and to align financial incentives and market forces with best practices. Participation by providers in this initiative will be critical, and a marker of their commitment to quality and transparency.

                                                                                                                          ###

About Shatterproof
Shatterproof is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the devastation the disease of addiction causes families. Shatterproof is focused on one specific, urgent goal: To transform America’s broken addiction treatment system. The organization is working to ensure every American with a substance use disorder has access to treatment based on proven research. Shatterproof advocates for changes to federal and state policy, payer reform, and provider ratings, and provides public education through family and workplace programs.