Effects of an Organizational Linkage Intervention on Inter-Organizational Service Coordination Between Probation/Parole Agencies and Community Treatment Providers.

Weak coordination between community correctional agencies and community-based treatment providers is a major barrier to diffusion of medication-assisted treatment (MAT)--the inclusion of medications (e.g., methadone and buprenorphine) in combination with traditional counseling and behavioral therapies to treat substance use disorders. In a multisite cluster randomized trial, experimental sites (j = 10) received a 3-h MAT training plus a 12-month linkage intervention; control sites (j = 10) received the 3-h training alone. Hierarchical linear models showed that the intervention resulted in significant improvements in perceptions of interagency coordination among treatment providers, but not probation/parole agents. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Leveraging Project ECHO to Implement a Suite of Substance Use Learning Communities for Statewide Impact.

BACKGROUND: Overdoses and alcohol consumption rose during the pandemic. However, uptake of practices which reduce mortality (eg, medications for opioid use disorder, harm reduction practices) remains insufficient. Provider training and telementoring is needed to ensure sufficient capacity for treating substance use disorders (SUDs) with evidence-based practices. The Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) model involves the use of web technologies to deliver didactic and case-based learning through a panel of experts to build such competency in a community of learners. Project ECHO was leveraged to implement a statewide telementoring center of addictions-focused ECHO programs, including programming in prescribing, harm reduction, recovery support services, collaborations with first responders, and systems-level challenges. METHODS: Participants represented health and behavioral health disciplines practicing across the state of Texas in metropolitan and rural areas. Learners were administered: (1) an online registration form that inquired about basic demographics, (2) a post-session survey at the conclusion of each session capturing satisfaction and likelihood to implement, and (3) annual surveys measuring changes in knowledge and self-efficacy. Attendance and other learner data were stored and extracted from the partner relationship management database: iECHO. RESULTS: Training programs were attended by 968 learners, with an average of 48 learners per session. Geographic reach included 47 Texas cities. Post-training survey results indicated high rates of learner satisfaction, with an average rating of 4.68 on a 5-point Likert-like scale. Annual surveys indicated improvements in provider knowledge and self-confidence across all programs. CONCLUSIONS: Early results indicate robust uptake, wide geographic reach, high learner satisfaction, and provider knowledge and confidence gains. This preliminary evidence supports the use of the ECHO model as a potential tool for scaling comprehensive SUD telementoring centers to meet workforce development needs over large geographic areas.

Expanding interprofessional teams: Training future health care professionals in screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT).

INTRODUCTION: Substance misuse persists and is undertreated across the United States (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2021). Further enhancing the skill sets and capacity of interprofessional members of primary care teams to include proficiency in the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) model could help to alleviate the "treatment gap" (those requiring treatment, but not receiving it) by enhancing interprofessional teams at the pregraduate level (e.g., health educators, health coaches) to expand capacity and meet the volume of patients with substance use-related needs. METHOD: In this study, SBIRT knowledge, training satisfaction, and efficacy were evaluated among undergraduate and graduate health and behavioral health students before and after exposure to a series of online training modules. RESULTS: On completion of the training, there were positive percent increases in overall mean knowledge and self-efficacy when compared with pretraining. At posttraining, graduate level students, regardless of discipline, reported greater knowledge than undergraduate students; there were no differences in efficacy or satisfaction among the groups. Additional analysis at the graduate level evaluated differences between behavioral health and medical trainees. No differences were found in knowledge or efficacy between groups at posttest, despite medical trainees reporting significantly lower efficacy at pretest. DISCUSSION: The findings of this study reinforce the need and potential to incorporate SBIRT training into higher education curricula for interprofessional health care professions to begin expanding the integrated care team's knowledge and efficacy in the provision of SBIRT to address the treatment gap. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Testing a Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) interdisciplinary training program model for higher education systems.

INTRODUCTION: An estimated 21 million Americans meet the criteria for a substance use disorder (SUD), whereas 24% of the population engages in risky alcohol use leading to tremendous health and economic impacts (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2017). Opioid misuse is a national public health emergency, with an estimated 46,802 opioid-related deaths occurring in 2018 (National Center for Health Statistics, 2020). Despite the high prevalence of risky substance use and SUDs, preservice education related to screening for and treating SUDs in health and behavioral health professions is inadequate (Dimoff, Sayette, & Norcross, 2017; Russett & Williams, 2015; Savage et al., 2014; Tabak et al., 2012). A critical need exists for an interdisciplinary, implementation science-informed approach for developing academic training programs in the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) model within higher education systems. METHOD: We delineate a training model implemented within 5 health and behavioral health disciplines (nursing, social work, clinical psychology, counseling psychology, and integrated behavioral health), informed by prominent implementation scientists (Proctor et al., 2011; Rogers, 2003). RESULTS: Faculty surveys (n = 33), interviews (n = 24), and syllabi and training records reviews indicated the Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment model was infused into course content by 89.47% of trained faculty and sustained in 90.47% of course syllabi at project close. CONCLUSION: The model demonstrated successful uptake and sustainability in higher education systems. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).