Search

This study aims to describe which substance use service (SUS) organizations and who within these organizations support the maintenance of policies targeted at improving substance use treatment services. An online survey assessing respondent, organizational and program demographics, and knowledge and support regarding policy changes was distributed to all certified SUS and harm reduction programs in NYS. Bivariate and latent class analyses were used to identify patterns and associations to policy choices. Across the 227 respondents, there was a support for maintaining expansion of insurance coverage, virtual behavioral health/counseling and medication initiation/maintenance visits, reductions in prior authorizations, and access to prevention/harm reduction services. Three classes of support for policies were derived: (1) high-supporters (n = 49; 21%), (2) low-supporters (n = 66; 29%), and (3) selective-supporters. Having knowledge of policy changes was associated with membership in the high-supporters class. Implications regarding the role of knowledge in behavioral health policies dissemination structures, decision-making, and long-term expansion of SUS are discussed.

Background: Substance use disorders (SUDs) among people with HIV are both prevalent and problematic. The Substance Abuse Treatment to HIV care project was funded to test the Implementation and Sustainment Facilitation (ISF) strategy as an adjunct to the Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) strategy for integrating a motivational interviewing-based brief intervention (MIBI) for SUDs within HIV community-based organizations. Methods: Using a cluster-randomized, type 2 hybrid trial design, 39 HIV organizations were randomized to either (1) ATTC ( n = 19) or (2) ATTC + ISF ( n = 20). Each HIV organization identified two staff members to be prepared to implement the MIBI ( N = 78). Subsequently, during the implementation phase, HIV organizations in each condition randomized client participants ( N = 824) to one of the two intervention conditions: usual care (UC; n = 415) or UC + MIBI ( n = 409). Both staff-level outcomes and client-level outcomes were examined. Results: The ISF strategy had a significant impact on the implementation effectiveness (i.e., the consistency and the quality of implementation; β = .65, p = .01) but not on time-to-proficiency (β = −.02) or level-of-sustainment (β = .09). In addition, the ISF strategy was found to have a significant impact on the intervention effectiveness (the effectiveness of the MIBI), at least in terms of significantly decreasing the odds (odds ratio = 0.11, p = .02) of clients using their primary substance daily during follow-up. Conclusion: The ISF strategy was found to be an effective adjunct to the ATTC strategy in terms of implementation effectiveness and intervention effectiveness. It is recommended that future efforts to integrate the project’s MIBI for SUD within HIV organizations use the ATTC + ISF strategy. However, given the ISF strategy did not have a significant impact on level-of-sustainment, implementation research testing the extent to which the ATTC + ISF strategy can be significantly enhanced through effective sustainment strategies is warranted. Plain language abstract Substance use among people living with HIV is associated with increased mental health problems, worse medication adherence, and worse HIV viral suppression. Increasing substance use-related services in HIV community-based organizations is an important public health need. The Substance Abuse Treatment to HIV care project tested two strategies for helping HIV organizations implement a brief intervention (BI) designed to motivate clients to decrease their substance use. The project also tested if receiving a BI improved clients’ outcome. Two staff from each of the 39 participating organizations were taught how to deliver the BI using the Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) training strategy (online and in-person training, monthly feedback, and coaching). Half of the organizations also received the Implementation and Sustainment Facilitation (ISF) strategy, which included monthly meetings with an ISF coach for the two BI staff and one or more leadership staff from the organization. Organizations that received both the ATTC and ISF strategies delivered more BIs and higher quality BIs than organizations that only received the ATTC strategy. In addition, clients receiving BIs at organizations that received both strategies were more likely to decrease their substance use. However, receiving both strategies did not improve how quickly staff learned to deliver the BI or improve the number of BIs delivered during the project’s 6-month sustainment phase. Future research focused on implementing BIs within HIV organizations should consider using the ATTC and ISF strategies while also seeking to enhance the strategies to improve sustainment.

Background: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare providers were forced to shift many services quickly from in-person to virtual, including substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health (MH) treatment services. This led to a sharp increase in use of telehealth services, with health systems seeing patients virtually at hundreds of times the rate as before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.By analyzing qualitative data about SUD and MH care providers’ experiences using telehealth, this study aims to elucidate emergent themes related to telehealth use by the front-line behavioral health workforce.Methods: This study uses qualitative data from large-scale web surveys distributed to SUD and MH providers between May and August 2020. At the end of these surveys, the following question was posed in free-response form: “Is there anything else you would like to say about use of telehealth during or after the COVID-19 pandemic?” The 391 responses to this question were analyzed for emergent themes using a conventional approach to content analysis.Results: Three major themes emerged in the data: COVID-specific experiences with telehealth, general experiences with telehealth, and recommendations to continue telehealth delivery. Convenience, access to new populations, and lack of commute were frequently cited advantages, while perceived ineffectiveness of and limited access to technology were frequently cited disadvantages. Also commonly mentioned was the relaxation of reimbursement regulations. Providers supported continuation of relaxed regulations, increased institutional support, and using a combination of telehealth and in-person care in their practices. Conclusions: This study advanced our knowledge of how the behavioral health workforce experiences telehealth delivery. Further longitudinal research comparing treatment outcomes of those receiving in-person and virtual services will be necessary to undergird organizations’ financial support, and perhaps also legislative support, of virtual SUD and MH services.

Introduction Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, regulations for substance use services changed to accommodate stay-at-home orders and physical distancing guidelines. Methods Using in-depth interviews (N = 14) and framework analysis, we describe how policymakers developed, adopted, and implemented regulations governing services for substance use disorders during COVID-19, and how policymakers' perceived the impacts of these regulations in New York State. Results During the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers shifted to more inclusive approaches of knowledge generation and co-production of recommendations. Barriers to adoption and implementation of new regulations included medication/services supply, lack of integration, stigma, and overcriminalization. Conclusion Findings from this study highlight the potential feasibility and benefits of co-produced policies for substance use services and the need for consistent service supply, better integration with health care services, reduced stigma, improved funding structures, best practice guidelines, criminal justice reform, and harm reduction support. These considerations should inform future policy maintenance and modifications to substance use services related to COVID-19.

BACKGROUND Social distancing guidelines for COVID-19 have caused a rapid transition to telephone and video technologies for delivering treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs). OBJECTIVE This study examined the adoption of these technologies across the SUD service continuum, acceptance of these technologies among service providers, and intent of providers to use these technologies after the pandemic. Additional analysis using the validated technology acceptance model (TAM) was performed to test the potential applications of these technologies after the pandemic. The study objectives were as follows: (1) to assess the use of telehealth (telephone and video technologies) for different SUD services during COVID-19 in May-June 2020, (2) to assess the intended applications of telehealth for SUD services beyond COVID-19, (3) to evaluate the perceived ease of use and value of telehealth for delivering SUD services, and (4) to assess organizational readiness for the sustained use of telehealth services. METHODS An online survey on the use of telephonic and video services was distributed between May and August 2020 to measure the current use of these services, perceived organizational readiness to use these services, and the intent to use these services after COVID-19. In total, 8 of 10 regional Addiction Technology Transfer Centers representing 43 states distributed the survey. Individual organizations were the unit of analysis. RESULTS In total, 457 organizations responded to the survey. Overall, the technology was widely used; >70% (n>335) of organizations reported using telephone or video platforms for most services. The odds of the intent of organizations to use these technologies to deliver services post COVID-19 were significantly greater for all but two services (ie, telephonic residential counseling and buprenorphine therapy; mean odds ratio 3.79, range 1.87-6.98). Clinical users preferred video technologies to telephone technologies for virtually all services. Readiness to use telephone and video technologies was high across numerous factors, though telephonic services were considered more accessible. Consistent with the TAM, perceived usefulness and ease of use influenced the intent to use both telephone and video technologies. CONCLUSIONS The overall perceived ease of use and usefulness of telephonic and video services suggest promising post–COVID-19 applications of these services. Survey participants consistently preferred video services to telephonic services; however, the availability of telephonic services to those lacking easy access to video technology is an important characteristic of these services. Future studies should review the acceptance of telehealth services and their comparative impact on SUD care outcomes.

Background Substance use disorders (SUD) among people with HIV are both prevalent and problematic. In 2014, the Substance Abuse Treatment to HIV care (SAT2HIV) Project was funded to test the team-focused Implementation & Sustainment Facilitation (ISF) strategy as an adjunct to the staff-focused Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) strategy for integrating a motivational interviewing-based brief intervention (MIBI) for SUD within HIV community-based organizations (CBOs). This article presents the main findings from the project.Methods Using a cluster-randomized, type 2 hybrid trial design, 39 HIV-CBOs were randomized to either: 1) ATTC (n = 19); or 2) ATTC+ISF (n = 20). HIV-CBOs identified two staff to be prepared to implement the MIBI (N = 78 MIBI staff). Subsequently, during the implementation phase, HIV-CBOs in each condition randomized client participants (N = 824 client participants) to one of two intervention conditions: 1) usual care (UC; n = 415); or 2) UC+MIBI (n = 409). Both staff-level outcomes and client-level outcomes were examined.Results The ISF strategy had a significant impact on implementation effectiveness (i.e., the consistency and quality of implementation; β = 0.65, p = 01), but not on time-to-proficiency (β = - 0.02) or level-of-sustainment (β = 0.09). Additionally, the ISF strategy was found to have a significant impact on intervention effectiveness (i.e., the effectiveness of the MIBI), at least in terms of significantly decreasing the odds (odds ratio = 0.11, p = .02) of clients using their primary substance daily during follow-up.Conclusions The ATTC strategy was sufficient for the preparation of HIV-CBO staff to implement a MIBI for SUDs, yet the ISF strategy was found to be an effective adjunct to the ATTC strategy in terms of implementation effectiveness and intervention effectiveness. Based on these findings, it is recommended future efforts to integrate the project’s MIBI for SUD within HIV-CBOs use the ATTC+ISF strategy. However, given the ISF strategy did not have a significant impact on level-of-sustainment, which was similarly low in both implementation conditions, implementation research testing the extent to which the ATTC+ISF strategy can be significantly enhanced via effective sustainment strategies is warranted.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02495402. Registered 7/6/2015. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03120598. Registered 4/18/2017, retrospectively registered.

Introduction Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO™) is a hub-and-spoke knowledge-sharing network, led by expert teams who use multipoint videoconferencing to conduct virtual clinics with community providers in order to improve the quality of care. For this project, members of the Addiction Technology Transfer Center network applied this model in order to enhance workforce capacity to deliver clinical supervision for the treatment of substance use disorders. Methods Clinical supervisors ( n =66) employed in substance use disorder treatment programs were recruited to participate in this pilot study. The virtual ECHO clinic consisted of 12 total sessions, each lasting 1 hour and comprising a 15-minute mini-lecture on a clinical supervision topic and a 45-minute case presentation and review. All data were collected and analyzed between September 2016 and June 2017. Results Forty-eight staff attended at least one ECHO session (mean=6.38) and results are presented for 20 staff who completed the follow-up survey. Participants were highly satisfied with the overall intervention, organization of the clinic and the facilitation of Hub experts, relevance of the technical assistance to their work, and with the impact of the intervention on their effectiveness as a supervisor. Results also indicate that there were significant self-reported improvements in clinical supervision self-efficacy following participation in the ECHO clinic. Conclusions Results from this pilot study suggest that ECHO virtual clinics are feasible to implement for the purpose of workforce development, are well liked by participants, and can enhance clinical supervision self-efficacy among participants. Further research should explore the impact of self-efficacy on the effective implementation of clinical supervision practices. Supplement information This article is part of a supplement entitled The Behavioral Health Workforce: Planning, Practice, and Preparation, which is sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Background Social distancing guidelines for COVID-19 have caused a rapid transition to telephone and video technologies for delivering treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs). Objective This study examined the adoption of these technologies across the SUD service continuum, acceptance of these technologies among service providers, and intent of providers to use these technologies after the pandemic. Additional analysis using the validated technology acceptance model (TAM) was performed to test the potential applications of these technologies after the pandemic. The study objectives were as follows: (1) to assess the use of telehealth (telephone and video technologies) for different SUD services during COVID-19 in May-June 2020, (2) to assess the intended applications of telehealth for SUD services beyond COVID-19, (3) to evaluate the perceived ease of use and value of telehealth for delivering SUD services, and (4) to assess organizational readiness for the sustained use of telehealth services. Methods An online survey on the use of telephonic and video services was distributed between May and August 2020 to measure the current use of these services, perceived organizational readiness to use these services, and the intent to use these services after COVID-19. In total, 8 of 10 regional Addiction Technology Transfer Centers representing 43 states distributed the survey. Individual organizations were the unit of analysis. Results In total, 457 organizations responded to the survey. Overall, the technology was widely used; >70% (n>335) of organizations reported using telephone or video platforms for most services. The odds of the intent of organizations to use these technologies to deliver services post COVID-19 were significantly greater for all but two services (ie, telephonic residential counseling and buprenorphine therapy; mean odds ratio 3.79, range 1.87-6.98). Clinical users preferred video technologies to telephone technologies for virtually all services. Readiness to use telephone and video technologies was high across numerous factors, though telephonic services were considered more accessible. Consistent with the TAM, perceived usefulness and ease of use influenced the intent to use both telephone and video technologies. Conclusions The overall perceived ease of use and usefulness of telephonic and video services suggest promising post–COVID-19 applications of these services. Survey participants consistently preferred video services to telephonic services; however, the availability of telephonic services to those lacking easy access to video technology is an important characteristic of these services. Future studies should review the acceptance of telehealth services and their comparative impact on SUD care outcomes.

An implementation approach, featuring direct, onsite technical assistance is described, and findings from a pilot study assessing the capability of Federally Qualified Health Centers to provide integrated behavioral health services are presented. Investigators used the Behavioral Health Integration in Medical Care (BHIMC) index to measure integration at baseline and follow-up at four FQHCs in New Jersey. Results indicate that the average baseline capability score of 1.95 increased to 2.44 at follow-up, almost one-half point on the five-point BHIMC index. This pilot project demonstrates that co-occurring capability can be assessed, and system-wide technical assistance can be delivered to assist FQHCs in integrating behavioral health services. Future research should test technical assistance as an implementation strategy to promote the integration of medical care and behavioral health treatment on a wider scale.

This study examined the relationships between substance abuse, mental health problems and HIV risk behavior in offenders discharged from prison and referred to substance abuse treatment programs. Data from 34 sites (n = 1,358) in a federally-funded cooperative agreement, the Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies (CJDATS), were analyzed. Among parolees referred to substance abuse treatment, self reports for the six-month period before the arrest resulting in their incarceration revealed frequent problems with both substance use and mental health. HIV risk behavior was operationalized as either (a) unsafe injection drug use, e.g., sharing needles and/or sharing injection equipment, or (b) unsafe sex, e.g., sex without a condom. The findings were that (1) unsafe injection drug use was associated with unsafe sex and vice versa, (2) unsafe sex behavior was related to frequency of drug use, and (3) unsafe sex behavior was related to frequency of alcohol use. In these samples, mental health problems did not have a significant effect on risk behavior, controlling for other variables. Future research should probe this "nonfinding" using standardized diagnostic and symptom measures to provide greater detail on the mental health problems (e.g., age of onset, frequency, and severity of the problem).

Two nonspecific organizational factors-consensus, defined as agreement within staff and client groups, and concordance, defined as agreement between staff and client groups-were shown to influence client engagement in treatment in a national sample of 80 residential substance abuse treatment programs including 595 staff and 3,732 clients. Agreement was tested using a combined therapeutic community, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and 12-step treatment scale completed by staff and clients. Treatment engagement was measured by the combined scores on the three scales completed by the clients, including engagement, rapport with the counseling process, and confidence in treatment. Within-group consensus was measured by the standard deviations of the mean scores, whereas between-groups concordance was measured by the standard error of the difference between staff and client mean scores. Regression analyses showed that staff consensus was a significant independent predictor of client treatment engagement (p.05), whereas client consensus approached significance (p.10). Concordance was also a significant predictor of client engagement (p.002) after controlling for staff and client consensus. The potential contribution of the findings to a better understanding of program quality and effectiveness of programmatic interventions is discussed.

African Americans are at the intersection of the AIDS epidemic and burgeoning prison and offender populations, yet little is known about offenders' HIV knowledge and risk behaviors or ability to access effective services. We present findings from an exploratory study based on 300 interviews with New York City offenders conducted in 2001-2002. The data indicate relatively high rates of HIV infection and HIV risk behaviors among African American and other offenders. There were no clear patterns of risk behaviors by race/ethnicity. Although overall HIV knowledge level is high, important gaps in HIV knowledge remain and there is widespread skepticism among offenders about government information about HIV/AIDS. In the corrections setting, there is inconsistent access to HIV prevention and education services, and an emphasis on more passive learning materials. To reduce HIV infection rates, there is a need to expand peer-led and culturally- and gender-specific interventions, and to improve access to correctional facilities for community-based HIV service providers. HIV interventions must also be expanded for offenders on probation and parole. Mandatory HIV education and harm reduction approaches should be considered.

This study assessed gains that New York State mental health and addiction outpatient clinics achieved in their capacity to provide integrated mental health and substance abuse services for persons with co-occurring disorders. The investigators used two Dual Diagnosis Capability (DDC) indices—one for Addiction Treatment (DDCAT) and one for Mental Health Treatment (DDCMHT)—to measure integration capability at baseline (n = 603) and at follow-up (n = 150), an average of 2 years post-baseline, during which time programs received technical assistance and implementation support. At baseline, the average program score was 2.68, below the “Capable” level (3.0 on a 5-point scale). At follow-up, the average score was 3.04, and the percent of programs rated Capable more than doubled (from 22 to 52%). Programs with lower baseline scores and those with more time to follow-up (2–3 years) had the greatest increases, but 12 to 18 months were sufficient to realize sizeable and significant improvements.

The paper reports on the capability of New York State (NYS) outpatient programs to provide integrated services for co-occurring disorders (COD). Assessments of 447 outpatient clinics, using two dual diagnosis capability indices (one used in addiction settings, the other in mental health settings), produced an overall score of 2.70, interpreted to position NYS clinics closer to "capable" (3.0 = Dual Diagnosis Capable) than to "basic" (1.0 = Alcohol [Mental Health] Only Services). "Assessment" and "Staffing" received the highest scores; i.e., clients with COD were usually identified, and staff (with some additional training and supervision) could treat both disorders effectively. While programs were generally prepared for clients with COD (e.g., welcoming such clients into the program, employing staff with competencies in both disorders, and having established routine screening and assessment to identify COD), results showed that the actual delivery of effective treatment was less satisfactory. The project demonstrated that COD capability can be assessed system-wide, using direct observation.

This study examined engagement in treatment in substance abuse treatment programs that treated primarily either African American or White clients. Findings showed higher levels of engagement in White programs; however, engagement of African Americans in White programs was similar to that of Whites and was greater than Whites in African American programs. No significant differences emerged when a mixed model analysis considered additional variables of staff consensus (regarding treatment elements), treatment climate, acceptance of Medicaid clients, the proportion mandated to treatment, and the quality of the physical space. Although African American programs may show poorer levels of engagement than White programs, attribution of engagement in treatment to client level race/ethnicity should be made with caution.

Previous studies demonstrated the relationship between consensus among both staff and clients with client engagement in treatment and between client consensus and 1-year treatment outcomes. The present article explores the correlates of staff consensus, defined as the level of agreement among staff as to the importance of treatment activities in their program, using a national sample of 80 residential substance abuse treatment programs. Constructive conflict resolution had the largest effect on consensus. Low client-to-staff ratios, staff education, and staff experience in substance abuse treatment were also significantly related to consensus. Frequency of training, an expected correlate of consensus, was negatively associated with consensus, whereas frequency of supervision was not a significant correlate. The implications of the findings for future research and program improvement are discussed.

Numerous studies have established that incarcerated populations are at substantial risk for HIV infection. In response, many jails and prisons have increased HIV prevention and related services. However, although twice as many offenders are under community supervision as are incarcerated at any given time, HIV prevention needs have been largely ignored among probationers and parolees, and little is known about their HIV risk behaviors or HIV prevention needs. Compared with inmates, probationers and parolees have substantially greater opportunities to engage in HIV risk behaviors. In the present study, we describe HIV risk behaviors, knowledge, and prevention education experiences of probationers and parolees in New York City. We find that probationers and parolees have high rates of unprotected sex, and limited current exposure to effective HIV education and prevention interventions. Probation and parole departments need to improve HIV training for officers and make HIV risk reduction services more available.

s / Drug and Alcohol Dependence 140 (2014) e2–e85 e31 Comparative effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a computer-delivered psychosocial treatment program for prisoners with substance use disorders Michael Chaple1, Stanley Sacks1, M.T. French2, B. Sayed2, Lisa A. Marsch3 1 CIRP, NDRI, New York, NY, United States 2 University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States 3 Dartmouth Med Sch, Hanover, NH, United States Aims: (1) To test, among a sample of substance-abusing prisoners, the effectiveness of the Experimental condition (Therapeutic Education System [TES]), a computer-delivered treatment program, versus a control condition (Standard Care—group psychoeducation delivered by a trained clinician), on measures of self-reported drug use, HIV risk behavior, crime and reincarceration; (2) To compare the costs of administering both treatments in a prison setting. Methods: Employs random assignment to either (1) TES, or (2) Standard Care, in a multi-site trial conducted in 4 States and 10 prisons. This prospective longitudinal study obtains follow-up data post-prison discharge, interviews at 3and 6-months and criminal record checks to examine the comparative effectiveness of these interventions. Cost datawas also collected using amodified version of the Drug Abuse Treatment Cost Analysis Program (DATCAP). Results: A total of 513 subjects participated in the study (TES N=258; Control N=255). Findings show no significant differences between TES and Standard Care on self-reported outcomes. Rates of incarceration at 12 months post-prison release will be reported. Cost comparisons, however, show that TES was 4–5 times (i.e. cost per client)more expensive to implement in prisonwhen compared to Standard Care. Conclusions: Results demonstrate the comparative effectiveness of TES and Standard Care. However, TES is 4–5 times more costly to implement. However, this is mainly due to the initial investment required for TES (e.g., license and equipment fees), making the average cost higher when delivered in the context of a short-term clinical trial with limited targeted enrollments. Thus, there are likely to be cost-savings with TES if this technological intervention can be implemented to its fullest capacity. This paper will review the methodological challenges of “scaling-up” costs. Financial support: This ongoing ARRA-funded NIDA study, begun in 2009, and is supported by Award Number RC2DA028967. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.02.105 Exposure to stressful life events mediates the relation between family history of substance abuse and childhood adjustment Nora E. Charles, Ashley Acheson, C.W. Mathias, D. Dougherty Psychiatry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States Aims: Children with a family history of alcohol and other drug use disorders (FH+) are at increased risk for developing future substance use disorders relative to thosewithout such histories (FH−). The FH+ associated risk is thought to be related to behavioral and emotional maladjustment present prior to the initiation of substance use; however, it is unclear to what extent environmental stressors may be contributing to these deficits. The aim of the present research was to (1) quantify stressful life events in FH+ and FH− children and (2) determine the influence of these events on childhood adjustment. Methods: Children’s self-reported stressful life events and parents’ report of their children’s emotional and behavioral adjustment were examined in FH+ (n=234) and FH− (n=62) children (ages 10–12). Results: FH+ children reported significantly more stressful life events than did FH− children; specifically,more instances of abuse, household changes (moving, new people in home), family dysfunction (domestic violence, divorce), academic problems, exposure to crime, andfinancial problems. Parents of FH+childrenalso reported significantly higher levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms in their children. Analyses of the relationships between family history, stressful life events, and child adjustment indicated that stressful life events explained much of the association between FH status and emotional and behavioral adjustment. Conclusions: FH+childrenexperiencemore stressful liveevents across a broad range of categories, and these stressful life events appear to relate directly to poorer emotional andbehavioral adjustment in these children. This research is part of a longitudinal study and the model reported here will be applied to future substance use among these children to determine towhat extent stressful life events contribute to problem substance use during adolescence. Financial support: National Institutes of Health (R01DA026868, R01-DA033997). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.02.106 Clinical supervision of drug counselors in Maldives Marek C. Chawarski1, A. Malik2, L. Hussain3 1 Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States 2 UNODC, Male, Maldives 3 National Drug Agency, Male, Maldives Aims: To improve effectiveness of drug counseling in the Maldives (estimated up to 30,000 active drug users in a population of 329,000), we implemented and evaluated a clinical supervision training program. Methods: An 8-day workshop on effective drug counseling and clinical supervision skills included lectures, case discussions, and practical exercises. Preand post-workshop evaluation surveys evaluated knowledge and attitudes about drug use problems, prevention and recovery, drug counseling, clinical supervision, and self-evaluation of knowledge and professional skills learned during the workshop. Results: Workshop participants were 15 females and 2 males: mean age 30, 12 years of formal education, 6 years of experienceworkingwith drug users; highest professional degrees related to counseling included B.A. in psychology (5) and a counseling diploma (12). Differences between pre and post-evaluation results included shifts in the factors identified as the most important for recovery: from internal motivation (endorsed by 15 participants) and family and community support (10 participants endorsed) to availability and accessibility of effective medical treatments (10 endorsements), engagement in psychosocial/behavioral interventions (8), and lifestyle and behavior changes by the recovering individuals (6); and in the clinical supervision skills identified as most important: from a nonjudgmental attitude (11) and empathy (8) tomastery of professional skills by the supervising clinician (10 endorsements). Conclusions: Workshop participants increased their knowledge and practical expertise of evidence-based interventions, learnedabout objective evaluationmethods, anddevelopedgreater appreciation of the importance of delivering goal oriented and