The most effective strategies for training community treatment program (CTP) clinicians to use evidence-based substance abuse treatments, such as Motivational Interviewing (MI), are unknown. Efforts to train clinicians by providing them with treatment manuals or workshops only have been of limited value. More comprehensive training strategies have been recommended. A 'gold standard' intensive training strategy is the training approach used in clinical trials research. Use of this approach has been taken at face value. Another comprehensive training strategy, a Train-the-Trainer approach, has the capacity for creating wider dissemination of evidence-based practices. Like the clinical trials approach, no empirical evidence exists that shows this approach is effective in comparison to any other treatment training strategy. Randomized controlled treatment training trials are rare. In response to NIDA RFA DA-03-005, we propose to: (a) establish a statewide comprehensive MI Train-the-Trainer model in Connecticut and (b) conduct a small randomized trial evaluating the feasibility and effectiveness of three MI training strategies including MI self-study (SS), MI clinical trials training (CT), and MI Train-the-Trainer training (TT). Primary outcomes will be (1) MI knowledge acquisition, (2) MI utilization, and (3) MI adherence and competence. In the trial, we will randomly assign 12 CTPs to one of the three training conditions. After preparing clinicians to be MI trainers for the TT condition, 72 clinicians from the CTPs will receive MI training over the course of one week using one of the three training strategies. We hypothesize that the CT and TT strategies will result in better training outcomes than the SS approach at post-training and at a 12-week follow-up. We also hypothesize that when directly compared, the CT strategy alone will result in better training outcomes than the SS condition over the same assessment points. We also will examine differences that might exist between CT and TT conditions within this preliminary study and the implications these findings have for subsequent training studies and dissemination efforts. If conducted, this study would be the first randomized controlled trial that evaluates the effectiveness of the 'gold standard' clinical trials approach or a Train-the-Trainer approach in comparison to a minimal training control condition.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DA016970-03
Application #
6919970
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZDA1-KXN-G (10))
Program Officer
Mcnamara-Spitznas, Cecilia M
Project Start
2003-09-15
Project End
2007-06-30
Budget Start
2005-07-01
Budget End
2007-06-30
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2005
Total Cost
$228,200
Indirect Cost
Name
Yale University
Department
Psychiatry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
043207562
City
New Haven
State
CT
Country
United States
Zip Code
06520
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