NJAMHAA News Winter 2023

30 Winter 2023 Shatterproof Aims to Eliminate Stigma, Ensure Access to Quality Addiction Treatment Shatterproof, a newmember of NJAMHAA’s Integrated Healthcare Council, is a national nonprofit organization that aims to “transform our healthcare system and our society so we treat addiction with science and compassion – the way we do with any other chronic illness. Shatterproof is committed to building a future where those touched by this disease do not experience shame or stigma and individuals experiencing the effects of addiction have access to science- based treatment,” said ChadWilliams, LPC, LCADC, MPA, Director of State Engagement for New Jersey, ATLAS. To ensure that individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) receive high-quality treatment and support services, Shatterproof established ATLAS, the Addiction Treatment Locator, Assessment, and Standards Platform, a comprehensive online directory of SUD treatment providers that is quickly growing with resources from throughout the country. To help individuals with SUD and their families make informed decisions about which treatment providers to contact, ATLAS is designed for providers to upload detailed information, including substance focus, payment options, insurance accepted, types of treatment offered, facility features (individual counseling offered, physicians on staff, same-day or walk-ins accepted), explanation of coordinated mental and physical health care (on-site or through connections to other providers), other languages spoken, age-specific programming and special groups served. An individual seeking services begins a search by entering their state or city of residence or zip code, the preferred maximum distance between their residence and a provider, and insurance plan, if applicable. Then, they receive the names, contact information and website links and types of treatment provided by agencies that meet these criteria. There is also an indication if each agency provided quality data (the categories listed above) or not. Each site visitor can select the types of data of interest and depending on which items are chosen, some of the agencies that initially appeared may no longer be visible. If more than one agency meets all of the specified requirements, the individual will see a side-by-side comparison on the criteria, as well as signs of high- quality of care, which include fast access to treatment; personalized evaluations and treatment plans; access to medications for opioid and/or alcohol use disorder; effective behavioral therapies for addiction; long-term treatment and follow-up; and additional services to support recovery. ATLAS encourages individuals to share feedback on providers, which will be posted for each facility that receives a minimum of 20 comments. “We can’t produce ATLAS without providers,” Williams stated. At the time of this writing, only 65% of New Jersey’s SUD treatment providers had completed the survey to ensure that all details about their organizations are in ATLAS. The next opportunity to complete it will be in the spring of 2023. NJAMHAA will share details when they become available. The vetting process begins with a close partnership with the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), which provides ATLAS with a listing of all the New Jersey licensed SUD treatment providers. ATLAS staff then work extremely closely with DMHAS and the providers to raise awareness about the ATLAS platform and how it can support the residents of New Jersey. ATLAS staff then support