Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs joins pyramid healthcare

Dallas, PA – Today, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) was joined by substance use disorder (SUD) treatment provider Pyramid Healthcare, Inc. to encourage use of the free and confidential Addiction Treatment Locator, Assessment, and Standards Platform, ATLAS, in Pennsylvania.

“At a time when we’re seeing an increase in substance use and overdose deaths across Pennsylvania, it is vitally important for anyone with a substance use disorder seeking help to receive high-quality treatment,” said Special Assistant to the DDAP Secretary, Steve Ross. “The benefits of this new tool include monitoring the quality of treatment providers in Pennsylvania and giving individuals and families a trusted resource to locate quality care for themselves and their loved ones. We are thankful for Pyramid’s participation in this valuable resource.”

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Altoona, Pyramid Healthcare is recognized as one of the largest, full-continuum providers of substance use treatment for adults and adolescents with 31 convenient program locations in the commonwealth and 85 in total across seven eastern states.

“As a participating provider, Pyramid Healthcare proudly joins DDAP in support and promotion of ATLAS as an invaluable resource designed to bridge the gap between treatment access and client engagement within the commonwealth by helping individuals navigate available behavioral health treatment options that best fit their unique recovery needs,” stated Jonathan Wolf, CEO of Pyramid Healthcare.

A total of 515 SUD treatment facilities, or 67% of the total DDAP licensed facilities, across the state have submitted their information to be included in ATLAS. Since the launch in Pennsylvania last June, nearly 9,800 users visited the site, 5,100 treatment searches were made, and more than 1,100 treatment facilities were viewed through the platform. An additional open enrollment period for facilities who missed the first deadline will be available in fall 2022.

ATLAS evaluates addiction treatment facilities’ use of evidence-based best practices based on the Shatterproof National Principles of Care, includes an assessment to understand the appropriate level of care, and offers an easy-to-use dashboard to allow those in need and their loved ones to search for and compare facilities using criteria such as location, services offered, and insurance accepted so they can find the best treatment for their unique needs. ATLAS is fully available in English and Spanish.

The tool also gathers and displays anonymous feedback from patients on their experiences at facilities once a minimum threshold of 20 responses for the facility is met. Much like consumer reviews help people to select goods and services in other areas of healthcare, this feedback helps to inform others’ care decisions. Anyone who has received treatment from a facility in Pennsylvania is encouraged to visit ATLAS to search for the facility and leave a patient review.

ATLAS was created by Shatterproof, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in America. In addition to Pennsylvania, ATLAS is currently in Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma, North Carolina, West Virginia and New Jersey.

DDAP’S Get Help Now hotline, 1-800662-HELP (4357), is also a trusted resource for individuals and/or their loved ones if substance use disorder treatment or resources are needed. The hotline is confidential, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and staffed by trained professionals who will connect callers to resources in their community. Callers can also be connected with funding if they need help paying for treatment.