Advancing Recovery Through  Measurement, Quality, and Clinical Excellence

A Letter from Leadership: A Commitment to Better Outcomes

Every individual who enters treatment brings a unique history, unique challenges, and unique strengths. At Centered Recovery, our mission has never been simply to provide treatment. It is to create meaningful, measurable change in the lives of those we serve.

Behavioral healthcare continues to evolve toward greater accountability and evidence-based practice. Today, quality is measured not only by the services provided but by the outcomes achieved. Clients, families, referral partners, accreditation organizations, and insurance providers increasingly expect healthcare organizations to demonstrate that treatment produces meaningful improvements in recovery, emotional health, and overall functioning.

Since opening in 2017, our clinical team has remained committed to providing individualized, compassionate care while expanding our use of standardized outcome measures. These assessments allow us to monitor progress throughout treatment, strengthen clinical decision-making, identify opportunities for improvement, and evaluate the effectiveness of our programs.

Behind every statistic presented in our annual reports is a person who chose recovery, a family working toward healing, and clinicians committed to helping individuals build healthier, more fulfilling lives. While recovery cannot be fully captured by any single score or assessment, routinely measuring progress allows us to continually improve the quality of care we provide.

We are grateful to our clients, families, employees, referral partners, and healthcare colleagues for their trust and collaboration. Together, we continue building recovery—one person, one family, and one outcome at a time.

Krista Smith
Co-Founder & CEO 

About Centered Recovery

Centered Recovery is a comprehensive outpatient behavioral healthcare provider specializing in the treatment of substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions. Through individualized treatment planning and evidence-based interventions, Centered provides clients with the clinical support, education, and recovery resources necessary to build sustainable, long-term recovery.

Our multidisciplinary approach recognizes that addiction rarely exists in isolation. Clients frequently present with anxiety, depression, trauma-related symptoms, family conflict, occupational stress, and other behavioral health concerns that require integrated treatment. By addressing both substance use and mental health simultaneously, our clinical team works to improve overall functioning while reducing barriers to recovery.

Treatment is grounded in evidence-based clinical practices and delivered through a continuum of outpatient services designed to meet clients where they are in the recovery process. Care emphasizes individualized treatment planning, collaborative decision-making, relapse prevention, family involvement when appropriate, and ongoing recovery support beyond discharge.

Centered Recovery serves adults across the greater Atlanta area through both in-person and virtual programming, increasing accessibility while maintaining high standards of clinical care.

Services at Centered Include:

• Comprehensive Clinical Assessment
• Partial Hospitalization Programming (PHP)
• Intensive Outpatient Programming (IOP)
• Outpatient Programming (OP)
• Individual Therapy
• Group Therapy
• Family Support
• Case Management Services
• Medication Management Coordination
• Relapse Prevention Planning
• Continuing Care/Aftercare Planning

Centered Mission

The mission of Centered Recovery is to provide innovative and profound addiction treatment services to clients in the state of Georgia with integrity and superior customer service. We aim to help create and foster a healthier and more balanced community for all. 

Why We Measure Outcomes: Measuring What Matters

High-quality behavioral healthcare extends beyond delivering services—it requires evaluating whether treatment produces meaningful improvements in clients’ lives. At Centered Recovery, we believe that effective treatment should be measurable. While clinical expertise and the therapeutic relationships remain at the heart of recovery, this data-driven approach allows our clinicians to identify emerging concerns earlier, celebrate meaningful progress, and ensure treatment remains responsive to each client’s changing needs.

Behavioral healthcare has increasingly embraced measurement-based care (MBC) as a best practice. Organizations including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), CARF International, and The Joint Commission encourage providers to routinely collect standardized clinical data to improve patient outcomes, support individualized treatment planning, and strengthen quality improvement initiatives.

Rather than relying solely on clinical observation, Centered integrates validated assessment tools throughout treatment to measure changes in emotional health, psychological distress, recovery functioning, and protective factors associated with long-term sobriety. 

At Centered Recovery Programs, standardized assessments are integrated throughout treatment to:

• Guiding individualized treatment planning
• Identifying clients who may require additional clinical support
• Monitoring symptom improvement over time
• Evaluating treatment effectiveness
• Informing discharge planning and continuing care recommendations
• Supporting organization-wide quality improvement initiatives

Recovery is multifaceted. Improvements may include reductions in depression, anxiety, stress, cravings, and relapse risk while increasing recovery confidence, coping skills, and overall life satisfaction. No single assessment captures every dimension of recovery; however, standardized outcome measures provide objective data that complement clinical expertise and individualized care.

Measurement is not an endpoint, it is a tool that helps ensure every client receives the highest quality care possible.

Our 2025 Outcomes Measurement Report can be found here:

2025 Executive Report

Our Measurement-Based Care Model

Each client completes standardized assessments beginning at admission and continuing at routine intervals throughout treatment, typically every 30 days. Assessment results become part of the clinical record and are reviewed alongside therapist observations, treatment goals, and client feedback during treatment planning.

Routine assessment allows our clinicians to evaluate progress over time rather than relying on isolated clinical snapshots. Repeated measurement also helps identify individuals who may benefit from additional intervention, medication consultation, or adjustments to their individualized treatment plan.

Standardized Clinical Assessments

Centered utilizes nationally recognized assessment instruments that have been validated through extensive behavioral health research. Currently, we track the following: 

• Brief Addiction Monitor – Revised (BAM-R)

The Brief Addiction Monitor-Revised (BAM-R) evaluates multiple dimensions of recovery rather than focusing solely on abstinence. In addition to substance-related risk factors, the assessment measures recovery confidence, emotional well-being, protective behaviors, and overall satisfaction with recovery. This broader perspective aligns with modern recovery models that recognize sustained recovery as improvements across multiple areas of functioning.

• Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21)

The DASS-21 measures three important dimensions of psychological functioning—depression, anxiety, and stress. These domains provide valuable insight into overall emotional health and allow clinicians to monitor symptom severity over the course of treatment. Tracking these changes supports more individualized interventions and more responsive treatment planning.

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7)

The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) measures symptoms of anxiety and has become one of the most widely used screening instruments in outpatient behavioral healthcare. Because anxiety frequently co-occurs with substance use disorders, monitoring symptom severity throughout treatment helps clinicians evaluate emotional stabilization alongside recovery progress.

• Langer Mindfulness-Mindlessness Scale (LMS)

(New in 2026) The Langer Mindfulness–Mindlessness Scale (LMS) measures an individual’s capacity for mindful awareness as a way of interacting with the world. Rather than emphasizing meditation practice, the assessment evaluates openness to novelty, sensitivity to context, cognitive flexibility, and the ability to consider multiple perspectives. These dimensions reflect the understanding that mindfulness is an active process of noticing, learning, and adapting. This approach aligns with Centered Recovery Programs’ philosophy that cultivating awareness and cognitive flexibility supports lasting behavioral change, emotional well-being, and sustained recovery.

Assessment Participation

An important indicator of successful measurement-based care is consistent participation in routine outcome assessments. Reliable data collection strengthens the organization’s ability to evaluate clinical effectiveness while ensuring clinicians have current information to guide treatment decisions.

Since opening, Centered has continued to integrate routine assessments across the treatment continuum, reflecting an organizational commitment to evidence-based practice and continuous quality improvement. Assessment participation has remained mostly consistent throughout the reporting years despite natural fluctuations in census, admissions, treatment duration, and discharge timing. Continued expansion of routine assessment administration reflects the organization’s ongoing investment in objective outcome measurement and data-informed clinical care.

Against Medical Advice (AMA) Discharges

An Against Medical Advice (AMA) discharge occurs when a client voluntarily leaves treatment before clinical recommendations have been completed. Premature treatment discontinuation is associated with increased risk of relapse, hospitalization, emergency department utilization, and reduced continuity of care.Reducing AMA discharges remains an important objective for behavioral healthcare organizations because continued engagement allows clients greater opportunity to stabilize symptoms, strengthen coping skills, and establish long-term recovery support.

Supporting Continued Engagement

Maintaining treatment engagement requires more than simply scheduling appointments. Throughout treatment, clinicians work proactively to identify barriers that may interfere with continued participation, including transportation, occupational demands, family responsibilities, emotional distress, relapse risk, and changes in motivation.

Strategies supporting treatment retention include:

• Collaborative goal setting
• Motivational Interviewing techniques
• Individualized treatment planning
• Family involvement when appropriate
• Ongoing recovery planning
• Routine symptom monitoring
• Flexible outpatient programming

By addressing potential barriers early, clinicians aim to reduce premature treatment discontinuation while strengthening long-term recovery outcomes.

Evidence For Our Assessment Tools

Although national benchmark scores are not available for many behavioral health outcome instruments, the assessments utilized by Centered have undergone extensive scientific validation and are widely recognized throughout healthcare.

These instruments provide clinicians with objective information that complements clinical judgment, supports collaborative treatment planning, and strengthens ongoing quality improvement efforts.

Why Benchmarking Matters

Benchmarking is not simply an exercise in comparing numbers. It serves as an important quality improvement strategy by helping healthcare organizations evaluate performance, identify opportunities for growth, and demonstrate accountability to patients, referral partners, accreditation organizations, and payers.

Centered Recovery views benchmarking as one component of a larger commitment to clinical excellence. Rather than focusing exclusively on meeting predetermined targets, the organization uses outcome data to better understand client needs, strengthen programming, and continually improve the quality of care delivered. As the organization’s outcomes database continues to expand, future reports will include additional longitudinal analyses, expanded recovery indicators, and more comprehensive benchmarking across multiple domains of clinical performance.

Continuous Quality Improvement: Turning Data Into Better Care

Collecting outcomes is only valuable when those findings are translated into meaningful improvements in patient care. At Centered, outcome measurement serves as an ongoing quality improvement initiative rather than a retrospective reporting exercise.

Clinical outcomes, treatment engagement metrics, and recovery assessments are routinely reviewed to evaluate program performance, identify opportunities for improvement, and strengthen the effectiveness of services across the organization. This continuous feedback process supports a culture of accountability, collaboration, and evidence-informed decision-making.

Rather than viewing quality improvement as a single project, Centered incorporates continuous evaluation into everyday clinical operations. Assessment results, discharge outcomes, and treatment engagement data are considered alongside clinician observations and client feedback to ensure services remain responsive to the evolving needs of those we serve.

Our Quality Improvement Cycle

Centered’s quality improvement efforts follow the widely recognized Plan–Do–Study–Act (PDSA) model used throughout healthcare organizations.

Plan

Identify opportunities to improve clinical quality, patient engagement, and recovery outcomes.

Do

Implement evidence-based interventions, standardized assessments, and individualized treatment planning.

Study

Review treatment engagement, discharge trends, assessment data, and organizational outcomes to evaluate effectiveness.

Act

Refine clinical programming, strengthen policies, provide staff education, and adjust treatment approaches based on findings.

How Outcome Data Inform Clinical Care

Measurement-based care supports decision-making at both the individual client level and the organizational level.

Individual Client Care

Clinicians utilize standardized assessment results to:

• Monitor symptom severity throughout treatment
• Identify emerging concerns requiring additional intervention
• Adjust individualized treatment plans
• Evaluate response to therapeutic interventions
• Support collaborative goal setting
• Inform discharge and continuing care recommendations

Program Evaluation

Organizational leadership reviews aggregate outcome data to:

• Monitor treatment completion trends
• Evaluate client engagement
• Identify opportunities for program development
• Support staff education and clinical supervision
• Strengthen quality improvement initiatives
• Demonstrate accountability to referral partners and payers

By integrating outcomes into routine clinical operations, Centered ensures that quality improvement remains embedded within the culture of care rather than existing as a separate administrative process.

Building a Culture of Clinical Excellence

High-quality behavioral healthcare depends upon more than evidence-based interventions alone. It requires ongoing reflection, collaboration, and a willingness to evaluate outcomes objectively. Centered Recovery remains committed to fostering a culture where clinicians routinely examine clinical effectiveness, share best practices, and continuously refine treatment approaches based upon both emerging research and organizational outcomes. This commitment strengthens not only individual client care but also the long-term effectiveness and sustainability of the organization as a whole.

Methodology

Population Included

Outcome data include individuals who were formally discharged from treatment during the reporting period, usually the calendar year. Discharge classifications include:

• Treatment Completion
• Against Medical Advice (AMA)
• Administrative Discharge
• Other Clinically Appropriate Discharge Categories

All reported percentages are calculated using the total number of discharges as the denominator unless otherwise specified.

Data Analysis

Treatment engagement metrics were calculated using aggregate discharge data for the reporting period. Clinical outcome measures were summarized using available organizational assessment data. A key methodological consideration is that benchmarks are not applicable to these clinical outcomes because standardized symptom assessments lack universally accepted national benchmark scores due to significant variables such as patient population, assessment timing, and clinical level of care.

Limitations

Several important limitations should be considered when interpreting these findings. Behavioral healthcare outcomes are influenced by a diverse range of biological, psychological, and social factors. Clients enter treatment with varying levels of baseline symptom severity, differing recovery goals, and unique environmental circumstances. Furthermore, the lack of standardized, nationally accepted benchmark scores for clinical outcome measures (such as the GAD-7, DASS-21, and BAM-R) makes direct comparisons with other organizations difficult. Because of these factors, Centered’s reporting focuses on within-patient improvement over time rather than external benchmarking. Despite these limitations, standardized outcome measurement remains an essential component of evidence-based practice and organizational quality improvement.

Additionally, differences in assessment timing, patient populations, levels of care, and reporting methodologies limit direct comparisons across behavioral healthcare organizations. Despite these limitations, standardized outcome measurement remains an essential component of evidence-based practice and organizational quality improvement.

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2023). Practice guideline for the treatment of patients with substance use disorders.

Babor, T. F., Del Boca, F. K., & Bray, J. W. (2017). Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment: Implications for public health. Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 12(1), 1–10.

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. (2006). Substance abuse: Clinical issues in intensive outpatient treatment (Treatment Improvement Protocol No. 47). Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Evans, E., Li, L., & Hser, Y. I. (2009). Client and program factors associated with treatment retention among adults with substance use disorders. Addiction, 104(3), 435–442.

Joint Commission. (2024). Behavioral Health Care and Human Services Accreditation Standards.

Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., Williams, J. B. W., Monahan, P. O., & Löwe, B. (2007). Anxiety disorders in primary care: Prevalence, impairment, comorbidity, and detection. Annals of Internal Medicine, 146(5), 317–325.

Lovibond, P. F., & Lovibond, S. H. (1995). Manual for the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (2nd ed.). Psychology Foundation.

Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2023). Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change (4th ed.). Guilford Press.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2020). Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide.

SAMHSA. (2023). National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Quality Measures.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2024). National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS).

Veterans Health Administration. (2020). Brief Addiction Monitor (BAM) Manual.

World Health Organization. (2022). Guidelines on integrated care for mental health and substance use disorders.

This report reflects Centered Recovery’ commitment to transparency, measurement-based care, and continuous quality improvement. The outcomes presented summarize clinical engagement and recovery indicators among clients discharged during the 2025 reporting year. Our goal is to provide meaningful insight into the effectiveness of our services while strengthening accountability to our clients, referral partners, healthcare providers, and community.