title: Exploring Diversification as A Management Strategy in Substance Use Disorder Treatment Organizations.
abstract: Implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) creates both environmental uncertainties and opportunities for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment providers. One managerial response to uncertainties and emergent opportunities is strategic diversification of various dimensions of organizational activity. This paper explored organizational outcomes related to diversification of funding sources, services offered, and referral sources in a national sample of 590 SUD treatment organizations. Funding diversification was related to higher average levels of census, organization size, and recent expansion of operations. Service diversification was related to higher average levels of use of medication-assisted treatment (MAT), organization size, and expansion. Referral source diversification was related only to greater average use of MAT. Overall, strategic diversification in the three areas explored was related to positive organizational outcomes. Considering alternative strategies of diversification may help position SUD treatment centers to deliver more innovative treatments such as MAT as well as enhance capacity to satisfy current unmet treatment needs of individuals with behavioral health coverage provided under the ACA.
authors.affiliation: Center for Research on Behavioral Health and Human Services Delivery, Institute for Behavioral Research, University of Georgia. Electronic address: dfields@uga.edu.
authors.forename: Dail
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fields
authors.affiliation: Independent Research Consultant. Electronic address: rouse.riesenmy@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Riesenmy
authors.affiliation: Center for Research on Behavioral Health and Human Services Delivery, Institute for Behavioral Research and, Department of Sociology, University of Georgia. Electronic address: proman@uga.edu.
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Roman
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Diversification strategy; Organization management; Quality of care; Substance abuse treatment centers