Current Evaluation and Monitoring Projects at I-SATE

I-SATE contracts with the Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services at the Tennessee Department of Health to provide a post-treatment assessment of substance abuse clients enrolled in publicly funded facilities in the state. I-SATE researchers are currently working on three ongoing projects:

1. Statewide Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Evaluation Research (TOADS)

This year-round project conducts outcome evaluations of alcohol and drug abuse treatment agencies funded by the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant in Tennessee. A critical component of the Bureau's performance-based evaluation system, TOADS' research informs policy decisions for the planning and development of treatment services for alcohol and drug abuse. The main objectives of this project include evaluation of clients' performance on various indicators (e.g., abstinence rates, employment status, living arrangement) and publication of various agency-level and statewide reports to disseminate outcome evaluations to providers and planners. The primary intent of this evaluation effort is to identify the strengths of various treatment programs as well as those aspects that need attention in order to provide the most effective services to alcohol and drug abuse clients.

To achieve comprehensive representation of the client population, all individuals enrolled in treatment facilities (e.g., residential facility, halfway house) funded by the SAPT Block Grant are encouraged to take part in the study. Those who agree sign consent forms and provide a designated collateral-family member, relative, friend, or coworker-who will be interviewed be telephone at the same time as the client, six months after admission. The telephone survey comprises a structured questionnaire which adheres to the specifications of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) and incorporates the Interstate Core Data Items and Performance Indicators of the Treatment Outcomes and Performance Pilot Studies II (TOPPS II) Enhancement to maintain national standards for alcohol and drug treatment outcome evaluation. The information gathered from their admission data in order to assess treatment effectiveness and suggest avenues for improvement, if necessary.

2. Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment / Driving Under the Influence (ADAT/DUI) Outcome Evaluation Project  

This outcome evaluation research assesses the effectiveness of treatment on various performance indicators for those DUI clients funded by the ADAT program in Tennessee. Interviewers conduct follow-up interviews with clients six months after their admission to a treatment facility, collecting data about demographic characteristics, alcohol and drug use behavior, quality of life indicators, and satisfaction with treatment.

The Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment (ADAT) Fund was established in the Department of Health by T.C.A. 40-33-211, as amended by Public Chapter 729, to pay the cost of alcohol and drug addiction treatment for persons certified for such treatment by order of a General Sessions or Criminal Court judge. DUI offenders convicted of a second (or subsequent) DUI offense or for driving with a suspended, revoked, or cancelled license are eligible to participate in ADAT if the judge orders them to in-patient alcohol and drug addiction treatment and deems them indigent. To determine whether or not the person is indigent, the court considers the nature and costs of the program's services, the income and assets of the accused, the poverty level guidelines of the United States Department of Labor;  any other related circumstances presented to the court. However, the court can only request, not require, an expenditure of ADAT funds. 

3. Substance Abuse Treatment/Surveillance & Assessment in Tennessee  

This project focuses on the management, integration, and analysis of admission data for alcohol and drug abuse clients in the Tennessee. All SAPT-participating substance abuse treatment agencies collect data on clients at the time of admission, using a specialized software Insight-CH, developed by QS Technologies, Incorporated. Insight-CH contains a specific Alcohol and Drug Admission and Discharge module for entry of multiple client data, including demographics, type of referral, familial and legal status, physical and mental health, medical information, substance abuse history and behavior, and prescribed therapies. This data is collated by the Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse services at the Tennessee Department of Health and then sent to I-SATE researchers, who process them for two primary purposes: (1) to identify and integrate client data whose consent forms are sent to the TOADS for follow up assessment and (2) to analyze and produce reports on admission trends of alcohol and drug abuse clients in Tennessee.