Innovation in Effective Compassion Home > Changing Lives > Targeting Human Needs > Substance Abuse and Recovery

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	Compassion Spotlight
	Access to Recovery (ATR) set out to help 125,000 individuals overcome addiction in its first 3 years and exceeded this goal by more than 80,000 people. ATR engaged the services of more than 2,000 FBCO partners, many of which partnered with government for the first time. Nearly 74% of clients who were abusing alcohol or other drugs when entering the ATR program were abstinent at discharge, exceeding the success rate of most programs nationally. Several studies conducted in States funded by ATR suggest outcomes that outpace traditional recovery models.

The Need
The Response
   Access to Recovery (ATR)
   Other Initiatives

The Need

• In 2007, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 20.8 million of the 23.2 million people needing treatment for an alcohol or illicit drug use problem did not receive from a licensed facility.
• Of the 20.8 million, only 1.3 million reported that they felt they needed treatment for their alcohol or drug use problem, including 380,000 people who knew they needed treatment but were unable to access care.

The Response

Recovering from substance abuse and addiction is a process that involves the deepest and most complex parts of a person. Depending on the unique needs of each individual, a range of interventions and supports can enable recovery. In addition to clinical and other forms of treatment, various supportive services—such as housing, transportation, or childcare—can add critical help through the recovery process. Countless FBCOs across the country are well equipped to meet these needs. Alongside treatment and/or supportive services, these groups often offer a level of caring that can make the difference for a person seeking to break the cycle of addiction.

To enlist America’s FBCOs in an effort to expand recovery opportunities and supportive services for individuals seeking to overcome alcohol and other drug addiction, President Bush launched the Access to Recovery (ATR) Program in his 2003 State of the Union Address. The Bush Administration has also engaged FBCOs in a range of other programs to support substance abuse and addiction recovery.

Access to Recovery
The Access to Recovery (ATR) program provides approximately $100 million annually in grants which States and some Tribal authorities compete to receive every three years. Grantees use the funds to create and operate voucher systems that enable individuals to choose among a range of providers for both clinical treatment and supportive services, such as transportation, childcare, and mentoring.

This innovative approach to delivering addiction recovery services carries many benefits, including the following:

• Increasing the array of FBCO providers for clinical treatment and recovery support available to clients in ATR-served regions.
• Allowing clients to choose service providers that can best address their unique challenges, enabling them to take greater ownership in their recovery process.
• Expanding the capacity of community-based addiction recovery organizations through voucher funding, training, and technical assistance provided to ATR partners.
• Testing and learning from research findings in the largest scale, choice-based approach to recovery services ever implemented.

The ATR program completed its first 3-year grant cycle in 2007. A total of 4,947 organizations in 14 States and one Tribal area participated in the ATR program by providing clinical treatment or recovery support services. This includes more than 1,000 community-based nonprofits and more than 1,000 faith-based nonprofits. As of December 31, 2007,

• the ATR program has served more than 210,000 clients, exceeding its goal of serving an additional 125,000 clients by nearly 65%;
• nearly 74% of clients who were abusing alcohol or other drugs when entering the ATR program were abstinent at discharge—exceeding the success rate of most programs nationally, indicating a high degree of effectiveness;
• data from States with ATR programs indicate participation by a significant number of new partners—for example, 40% of organizations redeeming vouchers in Connecticut and 70% in Louisiana were partnering with the State to deliver services for the first time;
• faith-based organizations were welcomed as vital partners in the ATR program, and clients made robust use of these providers—nearly one third (32%) of all vouchers redeemed for ATR services were at faith-based organizations;
• participants in the ATR program showed a 31.4% decrease in unemployment and a 24.2% decrease in the number of individuals with no permanent place to live;
• 60% of participants who reported having no supportive network or community upon entering the program reported upon exit that they had developed a supportive network or community; and  
• numerous studies have been conducted in ATR-funded States—including California, Texas, Florida, Missouri, and Connecticut—and the research findings indicate that the ATR program’s distinctive approach achieves outcomes that surpass more traditional recovery models.

In September 2007, the second round of ATR grants (ATR II) were awarded as a part of its three year cycle competitively awarding 24 new ATR grants to 18 States, 5 tribal organizations and the District of Columbia.. In the past year, these grantees have enlisted 1,692 organizations as partners to provide services in their community. This includes 1,112 community-based nonprofits and 580 faith-based organizations. As of October 2008,

• the ATR II partner organizations have served more than 59,000 clients, exceeding its goal of serving 35,000 clients by 70%
• 82% of ATR II clients were abstinent at discharge
• More than one quarter (27.3%) of vouchers were redeemed at faith-based organizations
• Participants in the ATR II program showed a 19% decrease in unemployment and 8.1% decrease in the number of individuals with no permanent place to live
• On Discharge, 92% of ATR II clients felt they had a supportive network or community, which represents an 8% decrease in the number who felt they had none on first entering the program

Other Initiatives
Federal efforts to expand the availability and impact of substance abuse services through FBCO partners have also taken on other forms, ranging from grants and contracts funding specific work to nonfinancial partnerships between Federal agencies and FBCO’s willing to support recovery efforts.

The FBCI also initiated regulatory changes that enable FBCO recovery service providers to more easily access Federal resources. For example, in 2006, the U.S. Department of Agriculture set clear policy to guarantee that individuals accessing FBCO addiction recovery programs could retain their food stamp benefits.

Teen Challenge, a faith-based organization with residential addiction recovery centers all over the country, is one of the organizations that benefited from this policy. Teen Challenge reported that within one year of the regulatory change, its local recovery centers were able to increase their Food Stamp funding by 75% to $3.5 million—allowing the organization to expand its services to those most in need. Learn more about the services and work of Teen Challenge