It is not that substance abuse treatment has made no advances - instead, the problem is that these advances have not translated into the treatment system at the community level. This """"""""disconnect"""""""" (Leshner) or """"""""gap"""""""" (the Institute of Medicine) prompted the recommendation that NIDA establish a mechanism to facilitate transfer of research findings into the community. The proposed Clincial Trial Network (CTN) is the result of that recommendation. As envisioned, the proposed UCLA CTN Node will conduct and participate in behavioral, pharmacological, and combined behavioral and pharmacological treatment trials for drug abuse dependence and will conduct research on treatment practices within and across CTN Nodes. The UCLA Node would effectively bring together an outstanding group of investigators and a diverse array of community treatment programs with the expertise to respond to the envisioned needs of the CTN. The group has a track record for organizing and conducting multi-center studies and a successful history of working collaboratively with NIDA and other investigators across the nation on the one hand, and with community groups on the other. This proposal outlines an existing clinical infrastructure, which encompasses a system of community-based treatment clinics in Southern California, and describes a further partnership with four other community-based clinics, each with unique contributions for the CTN. The proposal details the training and research experience of the proposed group and the established training and research infrastructure that can be expanded to accommodate the needs of the Network. The proposal outlines an administrative infrastructure that the group has used successfully for the past several decades and which can be enhanced to meet CTN requirements. Finally, the proposal presents three research concepts for the Steering Committee's consideration. These concepts exemplify the group's experience and current thinking about projects that would be suitable for study within the CTN.
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