Public and Behavioral Health
MAT Expansion Program Evaluation Recommendations
Assessment of Previous Evaluation
Overview
From 2017 to 2025, the Medication Assisted Treatment Expansion Program (MATX) helped increase access to life-saving treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in rural and frontier counties across Colorado. Administered by the Center for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention (The Center), the program supported local organizations in delivering medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to communities in need.
To meet legislative reporting requirements, The Center partnered with The Evaluation Center (TEC) to assess the program’s evaluation system. TEC reviewed the current approach and provided recommendations to strengthen future evaluation efforts. As part of this work, TEC also developed a sample evaluation plan to guide future funding cycles and ensure continued accountability and impact.
Evaluation Approach
To assess the MATX Program’s evaluation system, TEC used a mixed-methods approach that combined document review and stakeholder interviews. We reviewed key materials, including relevant Colorado statutes (§§ 23-21-807 to 23-21-809), past evaluation reports, the program’s data dictionary, and The Center’s Request for Proposal for future funding cycles.
TEC also conducted six interviews with former grantees and held several meetings with the original evaluators who developed the MATX data collection system. These conversations explored how the system was designed and implemented, how grantees and funders used the data, and what worked well or could be improved for future iterations of the program.
Timeline
Complete
(January 2025 – June 2025)
POPULATION SERVED
Individuals in rural and frontier counties of Colorado