It takes a village: A pilot study of a group telehealth intervention for support persons affected by opioid use disorder.

INTRODUCTION: Opioid use disorder (OUD) has devastating effects on individuals, families, and communities. The Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) is a Support Person (SP)-focused intervention that aims to increase SPs' communication strategies, positive reinforcement/rewards, and social support. This pilot study, called eINSPIRE (INtegrating Support Persons Into REcovery), adapted CRAFT for delivery via group telehealth. The aims were to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of this intervention on patient buprenorphine retention and SP mental health. METHODS: The study recruited patients receiving buprenorphine treatment in a primary care setting across five community health centers with their SP (N = 100 dyads). SP participants were randomly assigned to receive usual care (UC) or the eINSPIRE intervention. We interviewed Patients and SPs at baseline and three months later. The study collected patient buprenorphine retention data from the electronic medical record three months post-baseline. RESULTS: About 88 % (656/742) of potentially eligible patients were able to nominate a SP and 69 % (100/145) of nominated SPs were eligible and consented to the study. eINSPIRE groups had low reach (25 % of SPs attended), but high exposure (M = 7 of 10 sessions attended) and acceptability (classes helped them with their patient's OUD). The proportion of eINSPIRE patients (68 %) and UC patients (53 %) retained on buprenorphine at follow-up were similar (p = 0.203). SPs in both conditions reported similar reductions in their depression, anxiety, and impairment symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary data suggest that eINSPIRE groups may not be feasible in primary care without further adaptations for this population. A future study with a larger sample size is needed to elucidate the observed distribution differences in buprenorphine retention. Future research should also explore methods to reduce barriers to SP session attendance to improve the reach of this evidence-based intervention.

Virtual Worlds Technology to Enhance Training for Primary Care Providers in Assessment and Management of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Using Motivational Interviewing: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Many individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) first present to primary care rather than specialty mental health care. Primary care providers often lack the training required to assess and treat patients with PTSD. Virtual trainings have emerged as a convenient and effective way of training primary care providers in PTSD assessment and communication methods (ie, motivational interviewing [MI]). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial of a synchronous Virtual Worlds (VW; a virtual world where learners were immersed as avatars) training versus an asynchronous web-based training on PTSD and MI, comparing the feasibility, acceptability, usability, and preliminary efficacy of 2 different training platforms among primary care providers. METHODS: Participating primary care providers were randomized to a VW and a web-based PTSD training. Outcomes were collected at baseline, posttraining, and 90-days follow-up. Standardized patient interviews measured participants' communication skills in assessing and managing patients with PTSD symptoms. RESULTS: Compared to the web-based training, the VW training platform achieved larger learning gains in MI (ie, partnership and empathy) and in discussing pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy for PTSD. Both VW and web-based trainings led to increases in PTSD knowledge and primary care providers' self-confidence. CONCLUSIONS: The asynchronous web-based PTSD training improved PTSD-related knowledge and self-confidence but was not as effective as the VW immersive experience in teaching MI or clinical management. Because VW training is synchronous and new for many learners, it required more time, facilitation, and technical support. As computer technology improves, VW educational interventions may become more feasible, particularly in teaching clinical skills. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03898271; https://tinyurl.com/mu479es5.

Developing and testing a COVID-19 vaccination acceptance intervention: A pragmatic trial comparing vaccine acceptance intervention vs usual care - Rationale, methods, and implementation.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has resulted in significant disability and loss of life. COVID-19 vaccines effectively prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death. Nevertheless, many people remain hesitant to accept vaccination. Veterans perceive healthcare providers (HCP) and staff as trusted vaccine information sources and thereby are well suited to initiate vaccine discussions. The overall objective of this study is to implement and test a virtual COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance Intervention (VAI) training that is informed by motivational interviewing (MI) techniques. METHODS: The VAI training is being delivered to VA HCPs and staff within a Hybrid Type 2 pragmatic implementation-effectiveness trial using Implementation Facilitation as the implementation strategy. The implementation team includes external facilitators paired with VA Healthcare System (VAHCS)-level internal facilitators. The trial has three aims: 1) Examine the effectiveness of the VAI versus usual care on unvaccinated veterans' vaccination rates in a one-year cluster randomized controlled trial, with randomization at the level of VAHCS. 2) Determine factors associated with veterans' decisions to accept or decline primary COVID-19 vaccination, and better understand how these factors influence vaccination decisions, through survey and qualitative data; and 3) Use qualitative interviews with HCPs and staff from clinics with high and low vaccination rates to learn what was helpful and not helpful about the VAI and implementation strategies. CONCLUSION: This is the first multisite randomized controlled trial to test an MI-informed vaccine acceptance intervention to improve COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Information gained can be used to inform healthcare systems' approaches to improve future vaccination and other public health campaigns. CLINICALTRIALS: gov Identifier: NCT05027464.

Study protocol for a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial to reduce risky drinking among service members and their partners.

BACKGROUND: Military spouses and partners in relationships with a heavy drinking service member report high levels of mental health concerns and consequences, which are compounded when both partners drink heavily. Military spouses and partners -termed "concerned partners" (CPs)-may be an important gateway for motivating service members (SMs) to seek care. However, CPs may first need to reduce their own drinking and improve their communication to effectively support and encourage changes for their service member partner. Partners Connect is a web-based intervention aimed at improving communication and relationship quality and increasing SM help-seeking. METHODS: The current study design is a two-stage Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial (SMART) to develop an adaptive CP intervention to decrease CP drinking and increase SM help-seeking. CPs aged 18 and older (n = 408) will be recruited via social media and followed for six months. In stage one, we will randomize CPs to either a 4-session web-based intervention (Partners Connect) or to receive communication resources from the Gottman Institute website. The goal is to have CPs invite their SM to complete an online personalized normative feedback (PNF) session. If their SM completes the PNF at stage one, CPs will be considered "responders," if the SM does not complete, CPs who are "non-responders" will be re-randomized during stage two to receive either (1) a CRAFT workbook or (2) phone-based CRAFT if in Partners Connect; or (1) Partners Connect or (2) a CRAFT workbook if in Gottman. DISCUSSION: By first intervening with the service member's CP, we aim to better equip them to engage their service member partner in treatment services. In doing so, we develop a model that increases treatment accessibility and appeal among a group that may not otherwise seek care. CLINICALTRIALS: gov Identifier: NCT05619185.

Effects of buprenorphine on opioid craving in comparison to other medications for opioid use disorder: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Craving is a distressing symptom of opioid use disorder (OUD) that can be alleviated with medications for OUD (MOUD). Buprenorphine is an effective MOUD that may suppress craving; however, treatment discontinuation and resumed opioid use is common during the early phases of treatment. More information on the craving response through the high-risk period of initiating buprenorphine may provide meaningful information on how to better target craving, which in turn may enhance outcomes. This systematic review investigated buprenorphine doses and formulations on craving during the induction and maintenance phases of treatment, and for context also compared the craving response to other MOUD (i.e., methadone, extended-release naltrexone [XR-NTX]). METHODS: PubMed, PsycInfo, Embase, and Cochrane Central databases were searched for randomized trials of buprenorphine versus placebo, various buprenorphine formulations/doses, or other MOUD that included a measure of opioid craving. RESULTS: A total of 10 studies were selected for inclusion. Buprenorphine and buprenorphine/naloxone (BUP/NAL) were each associated with lower craving than placebo over time. Craving was greater among those prescribed lower versus higher buprenorphine doses. In comparison to other MOUD, buprenorphine or BUP/NAL was linked to greater craving than methadone in 3 of the 6 studies. BUP/NAL was associated with greater reported craving than XR-NTX. DISCUSSION: Craving is reduced over time with buprenorphine and BUP/NAL, although other MOUD may provide greater reductions in craving. Although there is currently considerable variability in the measurement of craving, it may be a valuable concept to address with individuals receiving MOUD, especially early in treatment.

Design, methods, and recruitment outcomes of the Veterans' Pain Care Organizational Improvement Comparative Effectiveness (VOICE) study.

The Veterans' Pain Care Organizational Improvement Comparative Effectiveness (VOICE) study is a 12-month pragmatic randomized comparative effectiveness trial conducted at ten United States Veterans Affairs (VA) health care sites. The overall goal was to test interventions to improve pain while reducing opioid use among VA patients with moderate-severe chronic pain despite treatment with long-term opioid therapy (LTOT). Aims were 1) to compare lower-intensity telecare collaborative pain management (TCM) versus higher-intensity integrated pain team management (IPT), and 2) to test the option of switching to buprenorphine (versus no option) in a high-dose subgroup. Recruitment challenges included secular trends in opioid prescribing and the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were recruited over 3.5 years. Of 6966 potentially eligible patients, 4731 (67.9%) were contacted for telephone eligibility interview; of those contacted, 3398 (71.8%) declined participation, 359 (7.6%) were ineligible, 821 (24.2%) enrolled, and 820 (24.1%) were randomized. The most common reason for declining was satisfaction with pain care (n = 731). The most common reason for ineligibility was not having moderate-severe chronic pain (n = 110). Compared with the potentially eligible population, randomized participants were slightly younger, more often female, had similar prescribed opioids, and had similar or higher rates of pain and mental health diagnoses. The enrolled patient number was lower than the original target, but sufficient to power planned analyses. In conclusion, the VOICE trial enrolled a diverse sample similar to the population of VA patients receiving LTOT. Results will add substantially to limited existing evidence for interventions to improve pain while reducing opioid use. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03026790.

Cultural adaptations of motivational interviewing: A systematic review.

Motivational interviewing (MI; Miller & Rollnick, 2012) has expanded from treating substance use disorders to other health concerns across a range of racial-ethnic groups and ages. The spirit of MI lends itself well to working with culturally diverse populations by eliciting the client's values and goals in a collaborative and client-centered approach in pursuit of behavior change. Additionally, MI has been further adapted for use with racial-ethnic minority groups to enhance its effectiveness with specific populations. The aim of this review was to investigate existing cultural adaptations of MI (CAMI), their effectiveness, and to provide directions for future cultural adaptations in both research and clinical settings. This systematic review identified studies of CAMI over the past 20 years using MEDLINE/Pubmed and Embase. The final dataset consisted of 25 peer review studies. In the randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies that utilized a control condition (n = 17), 10 studies showed that the CAMI condition performed significantly better on at least the primary outcome measure than the control condition. All 10 studies adapted Context, Content, and Concepts-three of the dimensions of cultural adaptation defined by the ecological validity framework used in this study (Bernal et al., 1995). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Value of family involvement in substance use disorder treatment: Aligning clinical and financing priorities.

BACKGROUND: Family members' support (e.g., informational, tangible, emotional) has important and lasting impacts on individuals' recovery from substance use disorders (SUDs). Unfortunately, SUD services in the United States do not consistently incorporate patients' family members effectively. One barrier to family involvement in SUD services is the mechanisms through which SUD services in the United States are commonly financed. METHOD: Using our recent experiences with developing a group intervention for support persons of patients with opioid use disorder, we illustrate how gaps in feasible financing models limit SUD service systems from effectively implementing and sustaining family services for individuals receiving SUD treatment. DISCUSSION: Long-term availability of family-inclusive interventions will require collaboration with payors and health systems. We offer two sets of recommendations for funding family involvement in SUD services; one set of immediately implementable recommendations and other longer-term goals requiring structural changes in SUD service delivery and financing.

Telephone veteran peer coaching for mental health treatment engagement among rural veterans: The importance of secondary outcomes and qualitative data in a randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: To determine the effectiveness of telephone motivational coaching delivered by veteran peers to improve mental health (MH) treatment engagement among veterans. METHODS: Veterans receiving primary care from primarily rural VA community-based outpatient clinics were enrolled. Veterans not engaged in MH treatment screening positive for ≥1 MH problem(s) were randomized to receive veteran peer-delivered feedback on MH screen results and referrals plus 4 sessions of telephone motivational coaching (intervention) versus veteran peer-delivered MH results and referrals without motivational coaching (control). Blinded telephone assessments were conducted at baseline, 8, 16, and 32 weeks. Cox proportional hazard models compared MH clinician-directed treatment initiation between groups; descriptive analyses compared MH treatment retention, changes in MH symptoms, quality of life, and self-care. FINDINGS: Among 272 veterans screening positive for ≥1 MH problem(s), 45% who received veteran peer telephone motivational coaching versus 46% of control participants initiated MH treatment (primary outcome) (hazard ratio: 1.09, 95% CI: 0.76-1.57), representing no between-group differences. In contrast, veterans receiving veteran peer motivational coaching achieved significantly greater improvements in depression, posttraumatic stress disorder and cannabis use scores, quality of life domains, and adoption of some self-care strategies than controls (secondary outcomes). Qualitative data revealed that veterans who received veteran peer motivational coaching may no longer have perceived a need for MH treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Among veterans with MH problems using predominantly rural VA community clinics, telephone peer motivational coaching did not enhance MH treatment engagement, but instead had positive effects on MH symptoms, quality of life indicators, and use of self-care strategies.

A pilot trial of collaborative care with motivational interviewing to reduce opioid risk and improve chronic pain management.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Opioid use and chronic pain are prevalent in the veteran population. Collaborative care enhances coordination between patients and their care teams, and motivational interviewing (MI) is a communication style designed to facilitate behavior change. This study evaluated the use of collaborative care with MI (CCMI) with patients with chronic pain and high-risk prescription opioid use. DESIGN: Small pilot study of a randomized controlled trial. SETTING: An urban Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred adult veterans with chronic pain currently enrolled into primary care and receiving long-term opioid therapy. INTERVENTION AND COMPARATOR: During an initial 1-hour visit with a study primary-care physician (PCP), all veterans (n = 100) developed a personalized pain care plan, after which they were randomized to receive four sessions (at 4, 6, 8 and 12 weeks) of either CCMI (n = 51) or attention control psychoeducation (ACP; n = 49). Subsequently, participants had 30-minute follow-up visits with study PCPs and post-treatment assessment at 12 weeks. MEASUREMENTS: Co-primary outcomes measures assessed opioid risk and pain interference; secondary measures assessed pain severity, PCP rating of opioid risk and pain management goals. FINDINGS: At 12 weeks, intent-to-treat (ITT) analyses using multivariate mixed-effects linear regression were inconclusive regarding the between-group differences in primary and secondary outcomes at post-intervention (12 weeks). Bayes factors for opioid risk, pain interference, pain severity and PCP ratings were 1.96, 1.36, 0.45 and 0.82, respectively. Veterans in the CCMI group reported implementing more complementary integrative health (CIH) goals (e.g. yoga) than did those in the ACP group (d = 0.54). CONCLUSIONS: US veterans with chronic pain who received collaborative care with motivational interviewing reduced their high-risk opioid use and showed improved pain interference and severity after an intake with a primary-care provider involving shared decision-making and the creation of a personalized pain care plan.

Experiences of Patient-Centered Medical Home Staff Team Members Working in Interprofessional Training Environments.

BACKGROUND: Evidence is growing that interprofessional team-based models benefit providers, trainees, and patients, but less is understood about the experiences of staff who work beside trainees learning these models. OBJECTIVE: To understand the experiences of staff in five VA training clinics participating in an interprofessional team-based learning initiative. DESIGN: Individual semi-structured interviews with staff were conducted during site visits, qualitatively coded, and analyzed for themes across sites and participant groups. PARTICIPANTS: Patient-centered medical home (PCMH) staff members (n = 32; RNs, Clinical and Clerical Associates) in non-primary care provider (PCP) roles working on teams with trainees from medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and psychology. APPROACH: Benefits and challenges of working in an interprofessional, academic clinic were coded by the primary author using a hybrid inductive/directed thematic analytic approach, with review and iterative theme development by the interprofessional author team. KEY RESULTS: Efforts to improve interprofessional collaboration among trainees and providers, such as increased shared leadership, have positive spillover effects for PCMH staff members. These staff members perceive themselves playing an educational role for trainees that is not always acknowledged. Playing this role, learning from the "fresh" knowledge imparted by trainees, and contributing to the future of health care all bring satisfaction to staff members. Some constraints exist for full participation in the educational efforts of the clinic. CONCLUSIONS: Increased recognition of and expanded support for PCMH staff members to participate in educational endeavors is essential as interprofessional training clinics grow.

Study design to evaluate a group-based therapy for support persons of adults on buprenorphine/naloxone.

BACKGROUND: Opioid use disorders (OUDs) have devastating effects on individuals, families, and communities. While medication treatments for OUD save lives and are increasingly utilized, rates of treatment dropout are very high. In addition, most existing medication treatments for OUD may often neglect the impact of untreated OUD on relationships and ignore the potential role support persons (SPs) could have on encouraging long-term recovery, which can also impact patient treatment retention. METHODS/DESIGN: The current study adapts Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) for use with SPs (family member, spouse or friend) of patients using buprenorphine/naloxone (buprenorphine) in an outpatient community clinic setting. The study will evaluate whether the adapted intervention, also known as integrating support persons into recovery (INSPIRE), is effective in increasing patient retention on buprenorphine when compared to usual care. We will utilize a two-group randomized design where patients starting or restarting buprenorphine will be screened for support person status and recruited with their support person if eligible. Support persons will be randomly assigned to the INSPIRE intervention, which will consist of 10 rolling group sessions led by two facilitators. Patients and SPs will each be assessed at baseline, 3 months post-baseline, and 12 months post-baseline. Patient electronic medical record data will be collected at six and 12 months post-baseline. We will examine mechanisms of intervention effectiveness and also conduct pre/post-implementation surveys with clinic staff to assess issues that would affect sustainability. DISCUSSION: Incorporating the patient's support system may be an important way to improve treatment retention in medication treatments for OUD. If SPs can serve to support patient retention, this study would significantly advance work to help support the delivery of effective treatments that prevent the devastating consequences associated with OUD. Trial registration This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04239235. Registered 27 January 2020, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04239235 .

Improvement in therapist skills over sessions in brief motivational interventions predicts client language and alcohol use outcomes.

Brief motivational interventions (BMIs) are widely used and efficacious interventions that address alcohol misuse in mandated college students. Consistent with motivational interviewing (MI; Miller & Rollnick, 2013) theory, within-therapist improvements in MI-consistent (MICO) skills over time-that is, as a therapist gains skill through repeated practice-may be associated with concurrent increases in client change language and subsequent changes in behavior. This study examined how therapist skill changed over time and whether within-therapist improvement in MICO skills impacted in-session client change language and subsequent alcohol-related outcomes. BMI sessions (N = 228) from 2 randomized clinical trials that had led to significant reductions in alcohol use and alcohol-related problems in mandated student drinkers were coded using the Motivational Interviewing Skills Code 2.0 (Miller, Moyers, Ernst, & Amrhein, 2003). In both studies, the BMI consisted of a single 45- to 60-min session. Analyses examined session-by-session changes in therapist MICO skills, client change language, and alcohol use outcomes. Therapist MICO skills improved over time, and there were significant increases in client change language and decreases in client discussion of topics other than personal alcohol use. Among relatively heavy-drinking clients, those treated by a more experienced therapist demonstrated greater reductions in alcohol use; however, this association was not mediated by client change language. Increased experience conducting BMIs improved therapist MICO skills over time, which in turn increased the focus on personal alcohol use during the session. However, it remains unclear how client language predicts behavior change following a BMI. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Optimizing pain treatment interventions (OPTI): A pilot randomized controlled trial of collaborative care to improve chronic pain management and opioid safety-Rationale, methods, and lessons learned.

Veterans seeking care in VA medical facilities have high rates of chronic pain, which often co-occur with mental health and substance use disorders, including prescription opioid misuse. The overall goal of the Optimizing Pain Treatment Interventions (OPTI) study was to pilot a 12-week Collaborative Care intervention to improve opioid safety, chronic pain disability, and use of non-pharmacological pain management strategies in veterans in VA primary care. Between November 2014 and January 2017, 100 veteran patients with chronic pain and high-risk prescription opioid use (e.g., high-dose therapy, early refills, etc.) were enrolled and completed an initial one-hour study visit with a primary care provider (PCP) within 4 weeks of enrollment. Study PCPs were guided by a web-based opioid management decision support program and templated notes in the VA electronic medical record. After assessment and education, study PCPs used Shared Decision-Making to formulate a Pain Care Plan aligned with a participant's personal values and goals. After the initial visit, patients randomized to Collaborative Care received one Motivational Interviewing (MI) session with a Care Manager followed by 3 Care Manager-delivered brief telephone MI sessions at 6, 8, and 12 weeks to reinforce Pain Care Plans; patients randomized to an Attention Control condition met with a Care Manager briefly, followed by 3 brief scripted telephone psychoeducation sessions at 6, 8, and 12 weeks. Masked evaluators assessed outcomes at baseline, end of intervention (12 weeks), and after eight weeks of no contact (20 weeks). We present study rationale, detailed methods, preliminary results and lessons learned.

Short- and Long-Term Effects of Within-Session Client Speech on Drinking Outcomes in the COMBINE Study.

OBJECTIVE: There is evidence of a causal chain in motivational interviewing (MI) involving counselor MI-consistent skills, client change language, and outcomes. MI was a key component of the combined behavioral intervention in the Combined Pharmacotherapies and Behavioral Interventions for Alcohol Dependence (COMBINE) Study. Participants in COMBINE were treatment-seeking and medication-seeking, and were required to maintain a period of abstinence before enrollment. Counselors were closely monitored and were temporarily removed from the study for remediation and supervision if their performance fell below threshold. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the MI causal chain among initial-session combined behavioral intervention audio recordings in this unique sample of highly motivated clients and highly monitored counselors. METHOD: Session 1 audio recordings (N = 254, 73.5% men) were evaluated using the Motivational Interviewing Skill Code Version 2.0 with good interrater reliability. Counselor speech was measured using a summary measure of MI-consistent behavior. Client change language was assessed, using change talk and sustain talk. The outcome measure of drinks per week was computed using the COMBINE data set. RESULTS: Higher sustain talk was significantly associated with increased drinking during treatment, whereas higher change talk was significantly associated with decreased drinking at the 1-year follow-up. In addition, there were significant indirect effects linking counselor behavior, client speech, and drinking both during treatment and at 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: Results supported the posited causal chain for MI. Despite somewhat lower variability of counselor behavior and use of a coding instrument that did not capture directional counselor behaviors, counselor behavior, client speech, and drinking outcomes were clearly linked in this unique sample.

Twelve tips for delivering successful interprofessional case conferences.

Interprofessional case conferences (ICCs) offer an interactive, practical way to engage members of two or more health professions in discussions that involve learning and working together to improve patient care. Well-orchestrated ICCs provide opportunities to integrate interprofessional (IP) education into routine clinical practice. The authors provide 12 tips to support the conceptualization, planning, implementation, facilitation, evaluation, and sustainability of ICCs. They draw from extensive experience as IP educators and facilitators of ICCs and from literature on IP education, case-based learning, small-group facilitation, peer-assisted learning, and learner engagement - all of which offer insights into ICCs but have not been integrated and applied to this context.

A randomized controlled trial to influence client language in substance use disorder treatment.

BACKGROUND: Client language is hypothesized to be a mechanism of action in motivational interviewing (MI). Despite the association of change and sustain talk with substance treatment outcomes, it not known whether providers can intentionally influence this language as hypothesized. OBJECTIVE: This is a randomized controlled trial to investigate whether substance use providers can be trained to influence client language. METHODS: Treatment providers specializing in substance use disorders (n=190) were randomly assigned to standard training in MI (MI-AU) or training emphasizing an influence of client language (MI-LEAF). Treatment sessions with actual clients were evaluated 3, 6 and 12 months after training by masked raters. Frequencies of client change and sustain talk were the outcome variables. RESULTS: Sustain talk, but not change talk, was significantly lower in clients whose providers had received the specialized training (b=-0.175, SE=0.087, p=0.046, CI[-0.348 to 0.002], d=-0.325). Mediation analyses supported a causal chain between a) training, b) providers' attempts to minimize sustain talk in treatment sessions via directive reflective listening and c) client sustain talk in the treatment session (κ2=0.0833, bootstrap SE=0.0394, 95% CI [0.0148, 0.1691]). CONCLUSIONS: With specialized training, providers can reduce the amount of opposition language their clients offer when considering a change in their substance use. Demonstrating that client language is under partial control of the provider supports the feasibility of clinical trials to investigate the impact of shaping client language on treatment outcomes.

National Dissemination of Motivation Enhancement Therapy in the Veterans Health Administration: Training Program Design and Initial Outcomes.

Motivational enhancement therapy (MET) can be defined most simply as the "….combination of Motivational Interviewing (MI) with assessment feedback…." (Miller & Rollnick, 2013, p. 250). MET has a clear evidence-base promoting its use especially for treatment of substance use disorders (SUDs). Despite its efficacy and utility, MET is not widely used in clinical settings. In 2012, to facilitate the dissemination of MET, the Veterans Health Administration [VHA; the health care component of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)] launched a national training program that provided competency-based training in MET to VA staff working in SUD specialty care clinics. All VA facilities are required to implement EBPs for SUDs, such as MET, and ensure that they are available to veterans. This paper describes the VA MET training program and examines the impact of the MET training program on participants' knowledge of MET and self-reported MET skills. We review the components of the training and consultation and discuss adaptations made from the Project MATCH MET model to a real-world clinical setting. Of the 264 training participants we trained 2012-2013, 213 (81%) successfully completed all requirements of the training program, including requirements for demonstrating competency and attending at least 75% of scheduled consultation calls. After completion of the training program, approximately 85% of the clinicians reported implementing MET often (either 1-3 times per week or daily). Furthermore, we saw significant increases in MI knowledge from pretraining assessment to post-workshop and from pretraining to post-consultations. Additional training program details and revisions are discussed.