The Health Care Authority (HCA), in partnership with UW Behavioral Health Institute at Harborview (BHI) and Principle Allies, developed the SUD Organizational Development Assessment (SODA) to advance quality substance use disorder (SUD) treatment across the state.
Leadership Academy and Applied Learning Opportunities
In fall 2026, the three-part, online Leadership Academy for Sustainable SUD Care will leverage the SODA tool to help substance use treatment providers assess readiness, align operations, and develop practical strategies to drive quality. Leaders who complete the series will be eligible to apply for complimentary technical assistance to support the quality improvement action plans they develop during the learning series.
The Leadership Academy invites Washington state SUD agency management teams to enroll separately or together. We welcome Executor Directors, CEOs, Presidents, COOs, CFOs, Controllers, Clinical Directors, Finance Managers, and HR Managers to join the next cohort. The interactive Academy will meet on Friday mornings, 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on October 9, October 23, and November 6. Please complete the online application and contact Principle Allies with questions.
About the SODA
Created in 2023 and piloted in 2024, the SODA addresses findings that SUD providers struggle to adopt new curriculum and training due to various organizational barriers. Examples of these barriers include challenges with recruitment and retention, an inability to capture reimbursement for services rendered due to credentialing and contracting, and system service gaps that distract staff attention from clinical quality. SODA tool development leveraged extensive literature review and input from interviews with health system stakeholders, including providers, managed care organizations, and academic experts. Universally, stakeholders and pilot participants found the SODA to be a meaningful, accurate, and useful tool to identify and plan quality initiatives.
The SODA assesses barriers to and facilitators of success, and it informs a tailored strategy to address training, staffing, and quality improvement efforts that focus on the unique needs of the organization and the individuals they serve. The SODA is modeled on the Washington Integrated Care Assessment (WA-ICA) but is distinct in that it focuses on SUD providers, particularly those that are smaller and operate outside the context of an integrated care environment. As such, the SODA delves into factors that are specific to SUD treatments. As a standardized and piloted tool, the assessment has two primary purposes:
- Assist an SUD agency in an internal review to identify its strengths and opportunities for investment. The tool can be used multiple times to gauge progress toward improvement goals.
- Provide information to health system partners on common areas of support needed to achieve quality outcomes among SUD providers in the state.
The assessment can be adopted as a self-administered standalone tool or as part of a structured technical assistance program. Ultimately, the goal is to strengthen SUD treatment providers and improve clinical outcomes.
SODA components
The tool consists of three primary components:
If your team is interested in a supported assessment implementation or future learning cohorts or for questions about the tool or assessment: Contact Principle Allies