NCJ Number
215504
Editor(s)
Eldon Edmundson, Jr., Ph.D.,
Dennis McCarty Ph.D.
Date Published
2005
Length
136 pages
Annotation
This book presents research on approaches to bridging the gap between alcohol and drug treatment practice and treatment innovations developed by researchers.
Abstract
An Institute of Medicine report recently called attention to the gap that has developed between the development of research-based alcohol and drug treatment innovations and the application of those innovations to substance abuse treatment protocols. The chapters presented here are designed to assist managers, clinicians, and other practitioners adopt innovative, evidence-based treatments into their substance abuse treatment strategies. The first chapter presents research on the use of practice improvement collaboratives for integrating evidence-based treatment practices into clinical treatment protocols. Processes important for early evidence-based practice adoption were identified as: the presence of formal organizational structures and processes, stability in the workforce, and the use of targeted and consistent collaborative goals. The second chapter presents an evaluation of a clinician training program on the use of Brief Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) for improving clinician knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Tips are presented for how agencies can adopt and sustain MET use. The third chapter examines the gap between the treatment philosophies and practices therapists report they use and the actual treatments and techniques used in their daily practice. The findings illustrate that therapists believe they are using evidence-based practices when in reality they tend to use modified versions of best practices that better fit their agency's needs. The fourth chapter examines the use of manual, opinion leaders, and training as strategies for integrating best practices into clinical treatments. The use of change leaders emerged as an integral component to adopting evidence-based best practices into clinical treatments. The fifth chapter examined how clinicians' readiness to change impacted the integration of evidence-based practices into their clinical treatments. Advice is presented for developing targeted strategies that account for differences in clinician demographics and training. The last chapter explored barriers to the implementation of evidence-based practices into Veterans Health Administration (VA) treatment programs. Tables, notes, references, index