NIDA Announces New Tools for Drug Abuse Treatment
Blending Team Initiative Shortens Time from
Research to Clinical Practice
Two new products designed to speed the adoption of science-based
interventions into clinical practice are now available from the
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes
of Health (NIH). These new “Blending Team” products are part of
an expanding portfolio that includes the latest research findings
on drug abuse approaches and interventions. Blending Teams are
composed of NIDA researchers, community-based substance abuse treatment
practitioners, and trainers from the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration's Addiction Technology Transfer
Center Network. In addition to the Blending Teams, NIDA sponsors
a number of Blending conferences which are held periodically around
the country to facilitate communication between researchers and
treatment providers.
The two new Blending Team products are:
- Motivational Interviewing Assessment: Supervisory Tools
for Enhancing Proficiency (MIA:STEP), tailored for clinical
supervisors to train front-line treatment providers to improve
their motivational interviewing skills. It also includes a
new package of tools designed to enhance patient engagement
and retention.
- Promoting Awareness of Motivational Incentives (PAMI).
These tools provide information about the science-based intervention
called motivational incentives (low or no-cost reinforcements
such as vouchers, prizes and privileges) and describes how the
use of positive reinforcement has reduced drug abuse and has
enhanced client retention in treatment programs. The PAMI products
include support materials, resources, PowerPoint presentations
for both clinicians and for policy makers, and an introductory
video.
“Accelerating the dissemination of research-based findings into
clinical practice is a key priority for NIH,” said NIH Director
Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni. “These Blending Team products should substantially
reduce the time lag between research and practice, making the best
drug abuse and addiction treatments available to those who need
them. It typically takes nearly two decades for published research
findings to be implemented in clinical practice.”
“Research shows that positive rewards increase client retention
in treatment programs, which is a strong predictor of favorable
treatment outcomes,” said NIDA Director Dr. Nora D. Volkow. “These
relatively low-cost motivational incentives are changing people’s
lives.”
“The resulting products of the Blending Team Initiative between
SAMHSA and NIDA ensure that professionals treating people with
substance use disorders have more rapid access to research results.
SAMHSA is pleased that through our Addiction Technology Transfer
Centers — SAMHSA’s national treatment training network — we
are able to bring these tools to the field more quickly where they
can be implemented to help individuals achieve and sustain recovery,” said
Terry L. Cline, Ph.D., SAMHSA Administrator.
“Harnessing the skills, resources, and knowledge of two Federal
agencies to facilitate moving important scientific findings into
mainstream addiction treatment practice is the goal of the NIDA/SAMHSA
Blending Initiative,” said Dr. Timothy P. Condon, NIDA Deputy Director,
who spearheaded the initiative. “These products, in addition to
our popular Blending conferences, provide unique opportunities
for teams of clinicians and researchers to share innovative strategies
to implement scientific-based approaches into clinical practice.”
Previously released Blending Team products include training modules
for treating addiction to opioid drugs with buprenorphine (a compound
that can be delivered in the privacy of a doctor's office, which
allows physicians to treat drug abuse and addiction in the same
manner they treat people for other chronic illnesses, such as diabetes
or high blood pressure). Another team has developed a product titled:
Treatment Planning M.A.T.R.S. which instructs providers on how
to transform required "paperwork" (assessments, forms, questionnaires,
case notes, etc.) into clinically useful information — Measurable,
Attainable, Time-limited, Realistic and Specific (M.A.T.R.S.).
These materials provide a comprehensive structure for clinicians
to organize a client's treatment record.
Blending Team products and more information on the NIDA Blending
initiative can be accessed at http://www.drugabuse.gov/blending/.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National
Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
NIDA supports most of the world's research on the health aspects
of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large
variety of programs to ensure the rapid dissemination of research
information to inform policy and improve practice. Fact sheets
on the health effects of drugs of abuse and further information
on NIDA research can be found on the NIDA web site at http://www.drugabuse.gov.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's
Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and
Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting
and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research,
and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both
common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and
its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
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