Model Treatment Center for Methamphetamine Addiction Opens in Maricopa County; ValueOptions, the...

MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. -- ValueOptions, the Regional Behavioral Health Authority (RBHA) for Maricopa County, is proud to announce its support of the county's first Methamphetamine Treatment Center of Excellence.

A partnership among ValueOptions, the Arizona Department of Behavioral

Health Services (DBHS) and Community Bridges, a Phoenix-area behavioral health services provider, the Center provides a first of its kind treatment model in Arizona for methamphetamine addiction. It combines the key phases of treatment and directly links to the County's Drug Court, a program in which drug offenders are released to a provider for placement in a treatment center.

"Methamphetamine is a social crisis in this country. In 2004, one in four people receiving substance abuse treatment in Arizona were using methamphetamines," said Brenda Benage, Executive Director, Programs and Provider Management of ValueOptions Arizona. "The Center provides the treatment resources needed to combat this crisis head-on."

"The center represents a new approach to addressing the impact of methamphetamine in our community through a first of its kind collaboration effort between the courts, probation department and treatment providers," said Dr. Frank Scarpati, CEO of Community Bridges. "By leveraging each group's resources we anticipate a more positive outcome through lower relapse rates, decreased criminal activity and longer periods of stability."

In 2003, a nationwide study released by the National Institute of Justice found that within one year of graduating from a Drug Court program, only 16.4 percent had been rearrested and charged with a felony offense.

"By creating a direct link with the Drug Court we are better able to properly place, treat and rehabilitate methamphetamine abusers, diverting them from the corrections system and ultimately, reducing rates of recidivism," says Benage. Similar programs are being implemented throughout Arizona; however, Maricopa County's program is the only one that links a treatment center with the Drug Court.

Most treatment programs typically focus on a single aspect of care. The Center's 360-degree, holistic treatment approach combines social detoxification, short-term residential housing and an intensive outpatient program, providing addicts with support services needed to enable them to live independently and addiction free. Over the next year, ValueOptions will enroll approximately 250 people into the program.

The social detoxification program and 24-hour short-term residential programs use a peer support structured setting, creating a sober environment for individuals struggling with methamphetamine addiction. The intensive outpatient program uses an adaptation of the Matrix Model, a program praised for its success in reducing drug and alcohol use.

About ValueOptions of Arizona

ValueOptions of Arizona is the Regional Behavioral Health Authority for Maricopa County, which serves nearly 60,000 county residents. ValueOptions manages publicly funded behavioral health services through more than 100 agencies and 22 case management sites. The company offers a range of services, from mental health case management, to crisis services and strengths-based, family-centered programs for children. Visit www.valueoptions.com/arizona for more information.

About ValueOptions

Covering over 24 million lives through a variety of direct contracts with health plans, employers, as well as state and county agencies, ValueOptions is a national managed care company that specializes in disease management for all mental health and chemical dependency diagnoses. ValueOptions supports the unique needs of client organizations with traditional managed care products, integrated behavioral healthcare services, as well as wellness and prevention initiatives and work-life programs. Leveraging a national behavioral health provider network of over 70,000 practitioner locations, ValueOptions puts the clinical well being of our members as our first and foremost priority. Visit www.valueoptions.com for more information.