Signature National Technical Assistance Centers

Current TA Centers

The Co-Occurring Center for Excellence (COCE) provides the technical, informational, and training resources needed for the dissemination of knowledge and the adoption of evidence- and consensus-based practices in systems and programs that serve persons with co-occurring disorders. The COCE builds on existing resources and information through collaborations with national experts and organizations, academic and research centers, and SAMHSA's Addiction Technology Transfer Centers (ATTCs) and Centers for the Application of Prevention Technologies (CAPTs). The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) and Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) are SAMHSA’s lead agencies for this initiative.

The National Technical Assistance Center on Chronic Homelessness (NTACH) is addressing the complex needs (i.e., mental health, substance abuse treatment, primary care, and housing) of the most disenfranchised and hard-to-serve homeless people through a comprehensive approach aimed at moving individuals from streets and shelter directly into permanent housing with critical services and supports. The Initiative is coordinated by the Interagency Council on the Homeless and represents a collaborative effort between the Department of Health and Human Services (SAMHSA and HRSA), the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

CDM has worked with State, regional, and local governments; with more than 5,000 community-based organizations in all 50 States; and with the trust territories and more than 70 American Indian tribes to provide expert technical assistance and training to community programs that aim to improve the quality of life at the local level.

The National Resource and Training Center on Homelessness and Mental Illness (NRTC) is the only national center specifically focused on the effective organization and delivery of services for people who are homeless and have serious mental illnesses. The Resource Center's activities enable the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) to facilitate service systems change through field-based knowledge development, synthesis, exchange, and adoption of effective practices.

Treatment Delivery Systems

CDM’s technical assistance system for CSAT’s Target Cities Programs supported the achievement of systemic improvements in drug abuse treatment services in 18 of America’s largest cities. Special initiatives included citywide central information systems supported by sophisticated management information systems. CDM also provided assistance to CSAT projects working to make treatment more accessible and effective for culturally distinct populations and people living in rural and remote areas.

State Mental Health Planning

CDM worked with the Center for Mental Health Services State Planning and Systems Development Branch to design and deliver technical assistance to enhance State mental health planning and systems development. CDM delivered technical assistance that addressed planning for homeless persons with serious mental illness, health care reform initiatives, training for mental illness crisis providers and emergency workers, and mental health services for elderly individuals and children.

State Substance Abuse Treatment Planning

CDM operated CSAT's Treatment Improvement Exchange to support State agencies’ efforts to strengthen service delivery systems. Technical assistance helped States develop comprehensive plans and measurable objectives for treatment, with a focus on special populations and concerns.