Alliance Member Spotlight
For those of us who have been involved with the substance use disorder (SUD) service continuum over the past several decades, the concept of a sobering center is not new. However, it has taken on a number of pejorative euphemisms, including “drunk tank” or “detox.” Setting stigmatizing language aside and moving toward definitions that embrace public health-oriented language has been a positive step toward educating the general public and health care professionals alike regarding the value these services bring to the community at large.
Visiting the newsroom on the National Sobering Collaborative website provides examples of nationwide efforts (stretching into Canada) to educate the public, improve community connections, and improve service delivery quality in several settings across the continent. At the core, a sobering center is a short-term care facility designed to allow an individual who is intoxicated and nonviolent to safely recover from the debilitating effects of alcohol and/or other drugs. These centers impact communities by reducing unnecessary emergency room visits or jail time for individuals who are more appropriately cared for in a safe space specifically designed to address the needs of this population.
For this month’s Alliance newsletter, Eric Bailly, Senior Director with Third Horizon and leader of the Alliance for Addiction Payment Reform connected with Shauna Goodman, executive director at the National Sobering Collaborative to learn more about the role sobering centers play with respect to enhancing the SUD service delivery system through a harm-reduction and public health approach.
New Publication
On June 14, 2024, the Alliance published an article entitled “Environmental Scan of Substance Use Disorder Quality Metrics/Measures Applicable to the Addiction Recovery Medical Home Alternative Payment Model.” The quality metrics/measures can be accessed directly here by selecting “Download the 2024 National Outcome Measures.”
Next Meeting: December 11, 2024
Agenda
- TBA speaker on care coordination and case management models in the chronic condition, physical health space
- “Post-Election Key Health Care Insights: What do we need to be thinking of from an industry and policy perspective as we move into 2025?” with Third Horizon CEO David Smith
- 2024 Alliance “year in review”
September 11, 2024 Meeting Recap
Recording available here; Passcode: #zS2z8^N
Agenda
- Welcome and Introductions
- Spotlight Presentation: Sustainable Recovery Requires System Reform: Stories of Resiliency and Hope for Meaningful Change with Patrick J. Kennedy, Former U.S. Representative, The Kennedy Forum
- Industry & Policy News: Review of the MHA State of Mental Health in America Report with Elveena Fareedi, Manager for Behavioral Health Research & Projects, Third Horizon
If you are interested in participating in this or any of the quarterly Alliance meetings, visit www.incentivizerecovery.org and select the quarterly meetings link to add yourself to the participant list. If you encounter any issues with this process, please email Eric Bailly at eric@thirdhorizonstrategies.com.
If you have any questions or would like to join the conversation and connect with Alliance, please fill out this form and follow our public LinkedIn page.