Using Administrative Data to Assess the Process of Treatment Services for Adolescents with Substance Use Disorder†

Abstract

In 1998, the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) convened an expert panel comprised of a multidisciplinary group of providers, researchers, managed care representatives and public policymakers known as the Washington Circle (WC) to improve the quality and effectiveness of treatment for substance use disorders through the use of performance measures. The initial goals of the panel included developing, testing and implementing performance measures in health plans and encouraging collaboration with key stakeholders to ensure widespread adoption of the measures. The WC focused its initial efforts on the prevention, recognition and treatment of adults with alcohol and other drug (AOD) disorders who receive health care through private and/or public sector health plans (McCorry et al. 2000). In 2002, CSAT, aware of the need to improve access and quality of treatment for adolescents, supported the Washington Circle in the establishment of a special subcommittee focused specifically on adolescent treatment issues. This article introduces the work of the Washington Circle and describes the Adolescent Subcommittee's progress in developing performance measures for the treatment of adolescents with substance use disorders. †This work is supported by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The opinions expressed in this article are the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of SAMHSA or their organizations. The authors acknowledge the significant contributions of the members of the Washington Circle Subcommittee on Performance Measurement for Care of Adolescents with Substance Use Disorders including Astrid Beigel, Ph.D., District Chief, County of Los Angeles Department of Mental Health; Katherine Grimes, M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School Psychiatric Research and Academic Center; Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A., President, Access Consulting International, Inc.; Patricia Perry, Ph.D., R.N., Research Scientist IV, New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc.; and Constance Weisner, Dr.P.H., L.C.S.W., Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco. The authors thank Dr. Mady Chalk, Director, Division of Services Improvement, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; Sarah Wattenberg, SAMHSA HIPAA Coordinator, Organization and Financing Branch, Division of Services Improvement, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; Dr. Frank McCorry, Chairperson, Washington Circle; Drs. Deborah Garnick and Margaret Lee, Brandeis University and the Washington Circle members for their support of the work of the Washington Circle Subcommittee on Performance Measurement for Care of Adolescents with Substance Use Disorders. We also thank Kay Miller and Eva Witt from Medstat and Brian Mullin and Sara Nechasek, Harvard Medical School Psychiatric Research and Academic Center for their assistance with data analysis and Lisa Ellis, M.S., for her excellent work in the preparation of this manuscript.