Date: March 6, 2007
Contact: mcbride@andrews.edu
Website:
Phone: 269-471-3152

Andrews University, in partnership with The MayaTech Corporation of Silver Spring, Md., has recently been awarded a 30-month grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Substance Abuse Policy Research Program to evaluate factors potentially affecting African Americans' access to outpatient substance abuse treatment.

The purpose of the project is to examine whether state Medicaid policies governing outpatient substance abuse treatment coverage help or hinder access to treatment services by African Americans. Duane McBride, PhD, director of Andrews University's Institute for the Prevention of Addiction, will serve as the project's Principal Investigator, and Jamie Chriqui, PhD, director of MayaTech's Center for Health Policy and Legislative Analysis, will serve as the Co-principal Investigator.

"Concern about equal access to drug treatment services has become a major issue in our society," explains McBride. "Considerable evidence suggests that substance abuse treatment is effective and that state policy can play a major role in determining access to these necessary services."

State Medicaid data will be compiled by the study team and linked with treatment program and client admissions data collected by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Analyses will focus on identifying differences in policies that are related to equal access to services.

"Many African Americans face barriers in accessing treatment services, which include lack of resources, transportation, and childcare," states Chriqui. "Recent data also suggest that African Americans participate in Medicaid as the only or primary insurance at a higher proportion than other racial or ethnic groups, and that is why the analysis of these state programs is key to evaluating access."

The research project will involve three studies specifically to examine 1) state Medicaid requirements for outpatient substance abuse services, 2) the differences in Medicaid versus non-Medicaid funded programs that may affect African Americans, and 3) the relationship between state Medicaid policies and treatment program practices.

Andrews University and The MayaTech Corporation also are collaborating on a 50-state analysis of methamphetamine precursor policies under a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice. 

The Institute for the Prevention of Addiction (IPA) at Andrews University in was founded in 1985. The mission of the Institute is to engage in a wide variety of research focusing on the epidemiology of health risk behavior, prevention strategies to reduce risk behaviors, best practice intervention services and policies to reduce health risk behaviors. Researchers at the IPA have conducted research projects nationally and internationally and published their findings in over 100 articles, books and monographs and have had projects supported by a wide variety of governmental funding agencies as well as private foundations. For more information, visit www.andrews.edu/IPA

The MayaTech Corporation is a consulting and technical services company that provides high quality, customer-focused applied research, policy, and evaluation; conference and logistics management; information and communications systems support; technical assistance; and international development services to public and private sector clients. Founded in 1985, the company is headquartered in Silver Spring, Md., and has offices in Atlanta, Ga. For more information, visit www.mayatech.com.