HCA outlines Recovery Navigator Program data overhaul, training and Q2 2026 rollout

Brianna Peterson, technical plan developer and report administrator for the program, walked the committee through recent RNP data and reporting changes the internal data work group developed with BHASOs and providers. "These programs are community based, peer led, and centered around living experience," Peterson said, describing why consistent reporting matters for understanding who is served and what outcomes are reached.

What changed: Peterson said the workbook now separates outreach, referrals and ongoing navigation/case management; clarifies navigation status and tracking of client progress; updates drop‑down fields and removes rarely used items; and deletes an embedded block of source‑of‑income language drawn from the original bill. She said contingency management was removed from discrete fields after provider feedback and that programs can indicate monetary incentives through a general indicator.

Support and timeline: HCA will publish a data definitions field guide and a desk manual for workbook use and will make these materials public on the agency website. Statewide provider training is scheduled for January 13; Peterson said the implementation of the new workbook starts in quarter 2, with an effective date of April 1, 2026. Peterson said PDAMS is the longer-term data validation/collection platform and remains roughly a year from implementation.

Why it matters: Peterson said clearer definitions and structured data fields will strengthen public reporting, program oversight and accountability and make statewide comparisons more meaningful. She said HCA expects to resume quarterly RNP data reports to the committee in February or March after internal data cleaning and will present updated metrics once data collection under the new workbook begins.

No formal action was taken; staff will return with cleaned quarterly reports in a subsequent meeting.