The overriding purpose of this study is to examine the statewide adoption and implementation of an evidence-based adolescent substance abuse treatment by practitioners working within the state substance abuse treatment system (South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services, DAODAS) and the state mental health system (South Carolina Department of Mental Health, DMH). Impetus for this project comes from several significant challenges in providing and transporting effective (i.e., evidence-based) substance abuse treatments to adolescents in real world practice settings (IOM, 1998). In light of these challenges, it seems reasonable to consider the viability of additional strategies for providing effective substance abuse treatment to adolescents. One possibility, and the focus of the present study, is to provide substance abuse treatment through the existing and more extensive network of mental health providers. Mental health providers might be relatively amenable to the adoption of evidence-based practices for a number of reasons. Substance abuse counselors, however, might be equally amenable when given access to the resources needed to implement an evidence-based practice (e.g., training, resources, ongoing consultation). Therefore, in collaboration with DAODAS and DMH, this study will provide an equal and voluntary statewide opportunity for DAODAS and DMH practitioners who treat marijuana abusing adolescents to receive training in contingency management as well as to have access to resources that facilitate the implementation of this evidence-based practice. Primary aims include:
Aim 1 : Evaluate the predictors of voluntary attendance at a contingency management (CM) workshop, based on demographic, professional training, organizational (e.g., culture, climate, structure), and service sector (substance abuse vs. mental health) measures collected from practitioners at the 33 DAODAS provider organizations and the 17 DMH community mental health centers prior to receiving an opportunity to be trained in this evidence-based treatment of adolescent marijuana abuse.
Aim 2 : Determine the predictors of CM implementation during the 6 months following CM training among those practitioners who attended the CM workshop, based on demographic, professional training, organizational (e.g., culture, climate, structure), and service sector (substance abuse vs. mental health) measures.
Aim 3 : Conduct exploratory analyses to assess whether barriers to workshop attendance and practitioner implementation of CM following such attendance contribute variance above that of the aforementioned variables.
