Featured Project

Sea Mar Medication Assisted Treatment – Program Model Evaluation

ISSUE

Sea Mar Community Health Center received a grant from SAMHSA to provide Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) services to opioid affected adults.  The project model involved using Nurse Care Managers and medical assistants as staff to serve as support and liaisons for clients in working with medical prescribers and in addressing basic needs that emerged during participation in services.  The intervention was implemented via both on-site and telehealth services at seven Sea Mar clinic sites in Western Washington.  The grant required data collection from clients at multiple time periods and capturing information on the services provided by the program.

SOLUTION

Survey Data Collection – Preparation and Training

The grant required that program staff complete a GPRA interview with clients at Intake and at follow-up periods of 3 and 6 months after intake.  The interview is rather extensive and asked a series of personal and sensitive questions across various domains to inform the federal research team about client outcomes achieved over the program period.  It was expected that the program would collect follow-up data from at least 80 percent of clients enrolled in the program.

The evaluation team worked with program staff on the development of a more user-friendly version of the interview instrument, the development of guidelines and procedures for use and training on methods for gathering data and completing the follow-up assessments.  Over the course of the project period, we helped the staff with strategies for maintaining follow-up rates and on approaches for connecting and reaching out to harder to serve clients.  We completed several reports looking at changes over time in key outcome measures including substance use, employment, housing, and mental health concerns, and the program has used these data to show local impacts of the intervention.

Gathering Local Process Implementation Data

The evaluation team completed yearly interviews with the project management and site-specific service staff to inform about the implementation and impacts of the model.  This included conversations with the Nurse Care Managers, medical support staff and local prescribers regarding the activities implemented with clients, successes and challenges with implementation and plans for sustainability of efforts beyond the life of the current grant.  The information has been used to enhance ongoing service delivery efforts and in planning for a modified intervention model that is hopefully supported with continued SAMHSA funding in 2022.