NCPG 24th National Conference on Problem Gambling (2010)
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NIATx Gambling Treatment Process Focus on Increasing Admissions
Program Code:
10D
Date:
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Time:
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
EST
SPEAKER
(S):
Mark Vander Linden
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Janet Zwick has thirty-five years of leadership experience in public health settings within the Iowa Department of Public Health. Currently she is president of Zwick Healthcare Consultants, LLC a private consulting firm focusing on technical assistance to states and agencies regarding process improvement, policy development, and the development of incentives and penalties for provider. Zwick has served as a NIATx200 and Communities of Commitment coach for the NIATx National Program Office. Currently she is working with the Prairielands ATTC on a NIATx project on substance abuse for North Dakota, South Dakota and a gambling project in Iowa.
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Description
Using NIATx Process Improvement with Iowa providers, Prairielands Addiction Technology Transfer Center (PATTC) and the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) worked with the Bets-Off Helpline and nine gambling treatment providers to increase admissions and reduce barriers to problem gamblers accessing treatment. Many changes were relatively small, yet conclusive data has shown a significant positive impact. Shortly after the NIATx project was launched it was determined that many clients “fell through the cracks” when being transferred from the Helpline to treatment agencies and as a result we invited the Helpline to join the NIATx process. By working with the Helpline, PATTC and IDPH have been able to positively impact services all over the state. This session will cover steps taken by PATTC and IDPH NIATx coaches to work with the Helpline and programs to identify barriers and follow-up using rapid change cycles (Plan-Do-Study-Act or PDSA) to implement changes that reduce barriers and increase gambling treatment admissions. We will share how we collected data to ascertain whether change cycles had a positive impact on behalf of clients, and how much of an impact. We will also share some of the most effective change cycles implemented in Iowa, and data that showed the positive impact these change cycles had on increasing admissions as well as increasing both continuation and success rates for problem gambling treatment clients.