This TIP, Substance Abuse: Administrative Issues in Outpatient Treatment, was written to help administrators work in the changing environment in which outpatient treatment programs operate. The TIP provides basic information about running an outpatient treatment program, including strategic planning, working with a board of directors, relationships with strategic partners, hiring and retaining employees, staff supervision, continuing education and training, performance improvement, outcomes monitoring, and promotion of the program to potential clients, funding agencies, and government officials. More specialized sections address challenges that have emerged and gathered importance in the last decade: preparing a program to provide culturally competent treatment to an increasingly diverse client population, succeeding in a managed care-dominated world by diversifying the funding sources a program draws on, and understanding privacy and confidentiality requirements imposed by Federal legislation.

Contents

• Acknowledgments
• What Is a TIP?
• Consensus Panel
• KAP Expert Panel and Federal Government Participants
• Foreword
• Executive Summary
• Chapter 1. Introduction
  • Challenges of the Current Treatment Environment
  • History of Intensive Outpatient Treatment
  • Notes About Terminology
  • Summary of This TIP
• Chapter 2. Management Issues
  • Roles of the Program Executive
  • Strategic Planning and Implementation
  • Board of Directors
  • Program Policy and Procedure Management
  • Relationships With Strategic Partners
  • Referring Clients to Services Outside the Program
  • Sharing New Knowledge With Those in the Field
  • Management and Administrative Issues
  • Program Visibility: Outreach and Public Relations
• Chapter 3. Managing Human Resources
  • Policy Issues and Guidelines
  • Guidelines for Staffing
  • Selection of Qualified and Competent Clinical Staff
  • Staff Supervision
  • Continuing Education and Training
  • Motivating and Retaining Staff
• Chapter 4. Preparing a Program To Treat Diverse Clients
  • Understanding Cultural Competence
  • Learning About Cultural Competence in Organizations
  • Preparing for Cultural Competence Assessment
  • Understanding the Stages of Cultural Competence
  • Performing Cultural Competence Assessment
  • Implementing Changes Based on Cultural Competence Assessment
  • Developing a Long-Term, Ongoing Cultural Competence Process
  • Undertaking Program Planning
  • Appendix 4-A. Cultural Competence Resources
  • Appendix 4-B. Community Diversity Form
• Chapter 5. Outpatient Treatment Financing Options and Strategies
  • Planning and Developing a Program
  • Funding Streams and Other Resources in the Substance Abuse Treatment Environment
  • Working in Today's Managed Care Environment
  • Contracts Are Primary Tools in Managed Care
  • Elements of Financial Risk in Managed Care Contracts
  • Networks, Accreditation, and Credentialing
  • Organizational Performance Management
  • Utilization and Case Management
  • Strengthening the Financial Base and Market Position of a Program
  • Preparing for the Future
• Chapter 6. Performance Improvement and Outcomes Monitoring
  • Increasing Importance of Outcomes Measures in Today's Funding Environment
  • Improving Performance and Monitoring Outcomes
  • Measuring Performance and Outcomes
  • Outcomes Measuring Instruments
  • Program Monitoring for Special Purposes
  • Working With Staff on Performance and Outcomes Improvement
  • Costs and Funding of Outcomes Improvement
  • Using Performance Data To Promote the Program
  • Appendix 6-A. Satisfaction Form for Clients
  • Appendix 6-B. Satisfaction Form for Referral Sources
• Appendix A—Bibliography
• Appendix B—Resource Panel
• Appendix C—Cultural Competency and Diversity Network Participants
• Appendix D—Field Reviewers

This publication was produced by JBS International, Inc. (JBS), under the Knowledge Application Program (KAP) contract numbers 270-99-7072 and 270-04-7049 with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

Suggested citation:

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Substance Abuse: Administrative Issues in Outpatient Treatment. Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series 46. DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 06-4151. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2006.

The opinions expressed herein are the views of the consensus panel members and do not necessarily reflect the official position of CSAT, SAMHSA, or DHHS. No official support of or endorsement by CSAT, SAMHSA, or DHHS for these opinions or for particular instruments, software, or resources described in this document is intended or should be inferred. The guidelines in this document should not be considered substitutes for individualized client care and treatment decisions.