Progress House Takes Home National Innovation Award
Progress House has been named a winner of the first-ever Behavioral Health Recovery Innovation Challenge by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), one of just 10 across the nation out of 350 nominees and the only innovator recognized in Indiana.
The goal of the challenge was to identify innovations developed by peer-run or community-based organizations that advance recovery. The award comes with $40,000 in prize money.
Progress House was the only recovery residence awarded in the innovation challenge. Since consolidating its operations with Aspire Indiana Health in 2019, Progress House has added comprehensive onsite healthcare services for its 100 residents including primary medical care, behavioral health therapy, Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), dental services and more.
Aspire and Progress House call their model the Whole Health Recovery Continuum. It also includes a treatment facility in Anderson, Mockingbird Hill Recovery Center, and Next Step transitional housing for Progress House alumni.
“What we’ve come to recognize is that people with substance use disorder usually have commingled physical and mental health challenges that contribute to their addiction and make it harder to stay in long-term recovery. By bringing comprehensive healthcare services inside Progress House, our success rates have skyrocketed,” said Darrell Mitchell, Executive Director of Progress House and Vice President of Recovery Communities for Aspire.
“It’s so amazing to have our work recognized on a national level, and during Recovery Month in September. Our thanks to SAMHSA and to the many devoted employees of Progress House and Aspire who helped make this innovation possible.”
“Millions of Americans are living in various stages of recovery from mental health and substance use challenges, and whether they are beginning or continuing that journey, they deserve the most innovative and effective care and services available,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.
“SAMHSA’s Recovery Innovation Challenge will allow us to learn from the recovery service community about tools and techniques they’re using at the state and local level that need to be scaled nationwide.”
You can watch Progress House’s submission video on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=Z-YDGm22UqA.
For more info about the SAMHSA innovation challenge and a list of other winners, visit samhsa.gov/newsroom/press-announcements/20220928/announcing-samhsa-recovery-challenge-winners.
About Aspire:
Aspire Indiana Health is a fully integrated nonprofit health system serving central Indiana that addresses behavioral health, primary medical care, substance use disorders, infectious diseases, deaf services, veteran programs, abused/neglected children and social drivers of health such as housing and employment.
Aspire is supported by a strong network of community organizations, state/federal entities and generous benefactors.