Institute for Research, Education and Training in Addictions

What Institute for Research, Education and Training in Addictions does

IRETA (Institute for Research, Education and Training in Addictions) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 1999 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, operating in the public health sector with a specialized focus on substance use disorders and addiction. The institute conducts applied research, delivers education and training programs, and provides consulting services to healthcare providers, government agencies, and community-based organizations working in addiction medicine. Its core service lines span addiction research, continuing education and workforce training, and consulting on substance use disorder treatment systems. IRETA maintains an 11-50 employee operation.

The organization's revenue model is built on professional services: consulting engagements, fee-based education and training programs, and technical assistance engagements. A notably active practice area in the 2026 inputs is opioid settlement technical assistance, a service line that advises counties and state associations on the deployment of funds flowing from litigation against pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors. IRETA's customer base spans county-government clients (via partnerships with state associations of counties in Michigan and Kentucky), academic partners (including Johns Hopkins), and community organizations (including partnerships with Onala and Pittsburgh Hotels). The mix implies a B2G / B2B-academic / B2B-nonprofit revenue split rather than consumer or pure federal-grant reliance.

IRETA's product surface is knowledge-based rather than technology-platform-based: educational webinars on emerging topics such as medetomidine and opioid settlement funds, FAQ resources such as the Neuromodulation FAQ, published curricula, and conference-delivered workshops. There is no indication of a proprietary software platform, data product, or AI-driven service in the input. Geographic expansion signals — national conference participation in Denver and multi-state county association partnerships — point toward a deliberate move to convert a Pittsburgh-anchored specialty practice into a nationally relevant advisory franchise centered on the opioid settlement funding category.

Name

Institute for Research, Education and Training in Addictions

Legal name

Institute for Research, Education and Training in Addictions

Website

https://ireta.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IRETA is a Pittsburgh-based 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 1999 that conducts addiction research and provides education, training, and consulting to healthcare providers, county governments, and community organizations addressing substance use disorders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Addiction Treatment Consulting

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE)

Keywords

• Addiction treatment consulting
• Substance use training
• Clinical quality improvement
• Opioid settlement assistance
• Public health education

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Fee-for-service consulting engagements with addiction treatment providers, healthcare organizations, and criminal justice systems for clinical quality improvement and program evaluation.
2. Education and Training Programs: Specialized training programs including the Scaife Medical Student Fellowship in Substance Use Disorders, with application-based enrollment.
3. Opioid Settlement Technical Assistance: Technical assistance services for counties and decision-makers regarding opioid settlement fund allocation and evidence-based investments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

IRETA delivers consulting, education, and training services to help addiction treatment providers, healthcare organizations, criminal justice systems, and Pennsylvania county governments improve clinical quality and outcomes for substance use disorder treatment. The core methodology is the Effective Change Process, a structured four-step approach (Data Gathering, Feedback and Collaboration, Training and Coaching, Evaluating and Formalizing Effective Changes).

Product overview

IRETA offers a portfolio of consulting services and educational products focused on improving substance use disorder treatment. The core offering is the Effective Change Process, a four-step consulting methodology (Data Gathering, Feedback and Collaboration, Training and Coaching, Evaluating and Formalizing Effective Changes) delivered through specialized consulting services for healthcare organizations, addiction treatment providers, and criminal justice systems. Supporting products include the Scaife Medical Student Fellowship in Substance Use Disorders, Opioid Settlements Technical Assistance, and a Resource Library containing guides, webinars, and educational materials. IRETA also produces research-informed publications such as the Neuromodulation Devices for Opioid Withdrawal FAQ. The organization operates as a public health nonprofit with a mission to help people respond effectively to substance use and related problems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IRETA: Institute for Research, Education and Training in Addictions - a public health nonprofit focused on addiction research, education, and training services.

Products and services

• IRETA Clinical Quality Improvement Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Only about 10 percent of people with a substance use disorder receive any type of specialty treatment (Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, 2016)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and notable.

• Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 May 2026Joint webinar presenting on Opioid Settlement Funds in Practice, bringing together national and state-level perspectives to help Pennsylvania counties understand how opioid settlement funds are being implemented across the country.
• Michigan Association of CountiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 May 2026Partnership to share examples of how county associations are supporting local planning efforts and explore emerging tools and resources for evidence-informed opioid settlement investments.
• Kentucky Association of CountiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 May 2026Partnership to provide practical guidance and real-world examples to inform opioid settlement decision-making at the county level.
• OnalanotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2026Partnership with Onala to support recovery during the 2026 NFL Draft through Pittsburgh Hotels, demonstrating community engagement in addiction recovery support.
• Pittsburgh HotelsnotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2026Collaboration with Pittsburgh Hotels to provide recovery support services during the 2026 NFL Draft, supporting individuals in recovery during large public events.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Abt Global: A research and consulting firm with significant behavioral health and substance use disorder program evaluation, technical assistance, and policy work for federal and state agencies. Comparable in research/TA scope to IRETA but operates across all of health and social policy at much greater scale.
• RAND Corporation: A large, established research institution with active programs in substance use policy, treatment evaluation, and behavioral health systems research. Comparable in research and policy advising to IRETA's program evaluation and clinical guideline development work, but operates across many sectors at vastly larger scale.
• RTI International: A large research institute with deep behavioral health and substance use research practice, including program evaluation, technical assistance, and policy analysis for federal and state clients. Comparable to IRETA's research/evaluation/TA portfolio but at far greater scale and across many health areas.
• Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation: A leading national addiction treatment provider that also publishes evidence-based curricula and professional training programs (e.g., the Hazelden Publishing library). Operates at much larger scale than IRETA but overlaps significantly in addiction education and evidence-based practice dissemination.
• Manatt Health: A health-focused consulting and legal practice that advises states, health systems, and foundations on behavioral health strategy, including substance use disorder system design and Medicaid policy. Comparable in advising healthcare clients on addiction strategy but with broader health policy scope.

Direct peers

• Treatment Research Institute: A University of Pittsburgh–based research organization focused on improving substance use disorder treatment through research, evaluation, and clinical quality improvement. Highly comparable to IRETA's research and program evaluation work, and also Pittsburgh-based.
• NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals: The largest national membership association for addiction-focused counselors, educators, and other professionals, providing training, certification, and continuing education. Highly comparable to IRETA's education/training mission serving addiction professionals.
• Addiction Technology Transfer Centers (ATTC) Network: A national network funded by SAMHSA that provides workforce training, education, and technical assistance for addiction treatment professionals. Directly comparable to IRETA in mission — building the capacity of the addiction treatment workforce — and the most analogous peer in the substance use training/TA space.

Others

• Shatterproof: A national nonprofit focused on transforming the addiction treatment system through evidence-based quality measures, provider advocacy, and public education. Comparable to IRETA in pushing evidence-based standards into addiction treatment, though Shatterproof's primary lever is policy/advocacy rather than consulting.
• National Council for Mental Wellbeing: A national advocacy and membership organization for mental health and substance use treatment providers, delivering technical assistance, training, and policy guidance. Comparable to IRETA's TA-and-training function but with broader mental health scope and a federal-advocacy orientation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IRETApgh
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TheIRETAchannel
• Facebookfacebook.com/IRETA.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-for-research-education-and-training-in-addictions-ireta-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute for Research, Education and Training in Addictions