NIDA/SAMHSA Blending Initiative Overview

Advances in science are giving us a broad range of promising options for treating substance use disorders, BUT we must work to ensure that they actually can be used in practice and are used in practice.

A 17-year gap exists between the publication of research results and impact on treatment delivery* To reduce the gap, NIDA and SAMHSA/CSAT have partnered to disseminate research findings for application in the treatment community through the Blending Initiative * Lamb, S., Greenlick, M.R., & McCarty, D., Eds. (1998). Bridging the gap between practice and research: Forging partnerships with community-based drug and alcohol treatment. Institute of Medicine, National Academy Press: Washington, DC.

What is the Blending Initiative? A collaboration between NIDA and CSAT’s Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Network begun in 2001 An innovative effort to make the best substance use disorders treatments available to those who need them

Blending Initiative Goal To harness the skills, resources, and knowledge of NIDA and SAMHSA to facilitate moving important scientific findings into mainstream substance use disorders treatment practice

A Landmark Initiative Tools facilitating the dissemination of research-based practices are being made available at nearly the same time that the research results are published in peer-reviewed journals.

Blending Process CTN protocols & other NIDA research CTN protocols & other NIDA research Hand-Off Meeting – create the charge for Blending Team, based on research results and how it can address critical needs in the treatment field Hand-Off Meeting – create the charge for Blending Team, based on research results and how it can address critical needs in the treatment field Blending Team – develop dissemination strategies and products. Each team composed of NIDA researchers, community-based substance abuse treatment practitioners and staff from SAMHSA's Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Network Blending Team – develop dissemination strategies and products. Each team composed of NIDA researchers, community-based substance abuse treatment practitioners and staff from SAMHSA's Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Network

Current Blending Packages

Five Blending Packages So Far 1.Buprenorphine Treatment: Training for Multidisciplinary Addiction Professionals 2.Short-Term Opioid Withdrawal Using Buprenorphine 3.Treatment Planning M.A.T.R.S.: Utilizing the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) 4.Motivational Interviewing Assessment: Supervisory Tools for Enhancing Proficiency (MIA: STEP) 5.Promoting Awareness of Motivational Incentives (PAMI)

Buprenorphine Treatment: Training for Multidisciplinary Addiction Professionals Buprenorphine and Buprenorphine/Naloxone Help Patients Quit Opiate Abuse Goal: to disseminate information and enhance awareness among multi-disciplinary addiction professionals about buprenorphine treatment

Buprenorphine Treatment: Training for Multidisciplinary Addiction Professionals Products in Package: –6-hour classroom training including a training manual, PowerPoint slides, and the short movie, “Put Your Smack Down! A Video About Buprenorphine” –Annotated bibliography and research articles

Short-Term Opioid Withdrawal Using Buprenorphine Goal: The key purpose of this Blending Team products is to instruct treatment providers about the 13-day buprenorphine intervention.

Short-Term Opioid Withdrawal Using Buprenorphine Product: –4-hour classroom training program including PowerPoint slides and a CD

Treatment Planning M.A.T.R.S: Utilizing the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) Goal: to transform required treatment planning "paperwork" into clinically useful information.

Treatment Planning M.A.T.R.S: Utilizing the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) Products: –6-hour classroom training program including a trainer script and notes, PowerPoint slides, handouts, and a reference list –4-week online course based on the classroom training

Motivational Interviewing Assessment: Supervisory Tools for Enhancing Proficiency (MIA: STEP) Goals: to enhance the MI skills of treatment providers and to fortify supervisors’ abilities to provide more structured, focused, and effective clinical supervision.

Motivational Interviewing Assessment: Supervisory Tools for Enhancing Proficiency (MIA: STEP) Products include briefing materials, a MI Assessment protocol, teaching tools for assessing and enhancing MI skills, supervisor tape rating guide, demonstration materials, and a supervisor training curriculum

Promoting Awareness of Motivational Incentives (PAMI) Goal: to inform the field about successful approaches in the use of motivational incentives.

Promoting Awareness of Motivational Incentives (PAMI) Products include a training video, a PowerPoint presentation, a brochure and a CD of resources

Outcomes

The ATTC Network has: Held 326 Blending Product Trainings from January 2005 – December 2007 as follows: –72 Buprenorphine Treatment –32 Motivational Interviewing Assessment (MIA:STEP) –95 Promoting Awareness of Motivational Incentives (PAMI) –25 Short Term Opioid Withdrawal Using Buprenorphine –103 Treatment Planning MATRS

The ATTC Network has: Printed and distributed 40,000 brochures introducing each of the Blending Initiatives materials to the field Recruited and prepared trainers in every ATTC Region to teach the Blending Initiative materials Developed and distributed ancillary products to enhance the reach of the official NIDA products, such as curriculum infusion packages for addiction studies educators at colleges and universities.

The ATTC Network has: Presented information and training on the protocols included in the Blending Initiative at NIDA Clinical Trials Network meetings, NIDA Blending Conferences, and other NIDA-sponsored events. Presented at State, Regional, and National conferences not affiliated with either the ATTC or NIDA on the Blending Initiative protocols.

New Blending Products

Guide to Selecting, Evaluating, and Utilizing Evidence-Based Practices Coming Summer 2008 A guide for providers on evidence-based practices is currently in development. This guide is designed to help practitioners in the substance use disorders treatment field understand what evidence-based practices are and how to select and use them.

Update of Buprenorphine Blending Product A preliminary meeting of representatives of the ATTCs, the NIDA Clinical Trials Network, and NIDA and CSAT staff was held on February 28, Based on review of the findings of the CTN research on the use of buprenorphine with adolescents and young adults, a tentative decision was made to update the current buprenorphine blending product with new research citations and to add a module on the use of buprenorphine with young adults, aged

To Download Blending Initiative Products ATTC National Office –Click to Select NIDA/SAMHSA Blending Initiative from the “Quick Links” menu –Or contact ; NIDA Web site