National Recovery Month Kicks Off with Launch of Lifesaving Tool in Florida

ATLAS® provides Floridians with a trusted source for details on quality, licensed addiction treatment

TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Floridians now have a free, confidential way to find lifesaving, high-quality addiction treatment to meet their unique needs. To kick off National Recovery Month, ATLAS (Addiction Treatment Locator, Assessment and Standards platform) was officially launched today in the state by the national nonprofit, Shatterproof™.

The new platform, which can be found at treatmentATLAS.org, helps individuals working to overcome addiction and their loved ones, as well as health care providers and insurers, search for and compare licensed treatment facilities throughout Florida so they can make informed decisions for their care based on location, use of best practices, types of treatment offered, accepted insurers, payment options, patient experiences, and more.

Shatterproof, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the devastation addiction causes families, launched ATLAS in Florida in collaboration with Florida Blue, the state's Blue Cross Blue Shield company, and New Directions Behavioral Health, a leading coordinated behavioral health care organization. ATLAS aligns with ongoing statewide initiatives to improve the quality of addiction treatment available to residents by ensuring care is delivered using evidence-based best practices.

Data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that fatal drug overdoses in Florida skyrocketed upwards by more than 25% in the year following the start of the COVID-19 lockdowns that began in March 2020, and this upward trend has continued. More than 8,000 Floridians lost their lives to drug overdoses in the past 12 months, with the majority of those from opioids. These staggering statistics further emphasize why individuals and families need a trusted resource to locate quality addiction treatment and care. There is no cost to individuals or their families to use ATLAS.

"The opioid epidemic has devastated too many families. We are committed to helping identify tangible solutions in the communities we serve," said Pat Geraghty, president and CEO of GuideWell and Florida Blue. "Florida Blue is proud to partner with Shatterproof to help individuals facing addiction, and their loved ones, by connecting them to trusted, high-quality addiction treatment programs. ATLAS will make treatment more accessible and available to those who need it, allowing families to heal from this crisis and creating healthier communities."

ATLAS is the first and only resource in the United States that connects people with information about appropriate, high-quality addiction treatment that meets their specific needs. The tool is funded by foundations, health care companies and most importantly, states.

Today nonprofit organizations, elected officials, business and community leaders, and health care professionals came together to officially launch ATLAS in Florida at an event hosted by Live Tampa Bay, a group of civic, nonprofit and faith leaders focused on ending the opioid epidemic. The in-person and virtual event featured Shatterproof CEO and Founder, Gary Mendell and Florida Blue Foundation Executive Director Susan Towler, who discussed how the two organizations are charting an unprecedented path to recovery and wellness for Floridians.

"During a time when our nation's addiction crisis is tragically at an all-time high and access to quality treatment is often hard to find, ATLAS is a critical new resource. When my son Brian needed addiction treatment, my family agonized trying to find him the right care. It was impossible to know who to trust," said Gary Mendell, founder and CEO of Shatterproof. "ATLAS is a sea change in the addiction world. It will give those in need and their families the transparent and trustworthy information my family never had and will help put more people on the path to recovery."

ATLAS lists all licensed Florida addiction treatment facilities for any substance use disorder, including alcohol and opioid use disorder, and displays information on services and practices for a large percentage. Shatterproof continues to work with addiction treatment facilities to add and update facility information, including through the next semi-annual open enrollment period which begins on September 7, 2022. Licensed addiction treatment facilities in the state are encouraged to contact [email protected] to ensure their information is up to date on the ATLAS website.

Florida Blue is committed to fighting the opioid crisis in the state, and the launch of ATLAS is just one of many initiatives the company has undertaken toward this end. In 2017, the insurer became the first in the state and one of only a few nationwide to remove OxyContin from its formulary.

Florida Blue and its Foundation are among the largest financial supporters fighting the opioid crisis in Florida.  Since 2018, the Florida Blue Foundation provided nearly $7.5 million to organizations on the front lines of the opioid crisis in Florida that are working to give aid and support to impacted individuals and families.

In addition, Florida Blue worked with several leaders and organizations to launch and expand Project Opioid, a statewide effort to systematically confront the opioid epidemic.

Florida Blue, Florida's Blue Cross and Blue Shield company, has been providing health insurance to residents of Florida for more than 75 years. Driven by its mission of helping people and communities achieve better health, the company serves more than 6 million members across the state. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., it is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

For more than 25 years, New Directions has helped people live healthy, balanced lives. The health care company provides managed behavioral health services, an Employee Assistance Program, Student Well-Being Programs, organizational consulting and coaching to private and public health plans, Fortune 100 companies, large and medium employers and labor groups. New Directions is one of the fastest-growing behavioral health care companies in the industry, more than doubling its membership in the last five years to include over 15 million members. Learn more at ndbh.com.

Shatterproof is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the United States. Shatterproof harnesses the models of business, the rigor of science and the power of a national movement to create change and save lives through three pillars of work: revolutionizing the addiction treatment system, breaking down addiction-related stigmas and supporting and empowering our communities. To learn more visit shatterproof.org. Find Shatterproof on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube: @ShatterproofHQ or follow them on Instagram at @weareshatterproof.

SOURCE Florida Blue