Role of performance measurement in substance abuse treatment: The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment’s (CSAT) Services Accountability Improvement System (SAIS)

James W. Luckey, PhD¹, Kevin P. Mulvey, PhD², Donna Atkinson, PhD¹, and Deepa Avula³. (1) Substance Abuse Research Group, Westat, 1650 Research Blvd., Rockville, MD 20850, 301 251-1500 x4861, billluckey@westat.com, (2) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockwall II Suite 840, Rockville, MD 20857, (3) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 5515 Security Lane, Rockwall II, Suite 840, Rockville, MD 20852

There has been increasing emphasis on the use of performance measures for substance abuse treatment services over the past decade, including NCQA’s measures for initiation and engagement of alcohol and other drug dependence in their HEDIS®, built on the work of the Washington Circle Group, the Carter Center Forum on Performance Measures, and the work of several professional organizations (e.g., ACMHA, MBHA). A driving force behind performance measurement within the public sector is the Government Performance Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) that required all Federal agencies, including the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), to develop and monitor performance measures so that they can demonstrate accountability for all programs. GPRA’s intent is to hold agencies (and programs within agencies) accountable for quantifiable results.

This presentation will provide an overview, status report, and future plans for their Services Accountability Improvement System (SAIS), which consolidates mandatory GPRA reporting and related activities for CSAT’s entire discretionary program under one umbrella. This discretionary portfolio includes over 400 active grants, both the Targeted Capacity Expansion (TCE) or treatment services programs and the Knowledge Application (KA) grantees. SAIS provides CSAT with a centralized quantitative data repository and analysis and reporting center for accountability, program planning and policy decisions. The vision for SAIS goes well beyond a data gathering system that allows CSAT to meet mandated reporting requirements with high quality data. The longer-term goal of this system is to imbed the tenets of continuous quality improvements within the Center and across the substance abuse treatment field.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the presentation the participant at this session will be able to

Recognize the role of GPRA in Federal efforts to hold substance abuse treatment programs accountable for the funding that they receive.
Describe CSAT’s GPRA reporting requirements for their grantees.
Discuss CSAT’s efforts and plans for fulfilling the intent of GPRA by managing to results.

Keywords: Substance Abuse Treatment, Accountability

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation

Treatment Success and Aftercare

The 132nd Annual Meeting (November 6-10, 2004) of APHA