W(H)ITHER EMPIRICALLY SUPPORTED THERAPIES (ESTS)? REPLY TO COMMENTARIES.

The article presents the authors' reply to comments on their article on future directions for behavioral treatment research in addictions. On the issue of bringing addiction treatment to open and the treatment programs be accountable, they argue that interventions associated with empirically supported therapies (ESTs) were so rare as to be undetectable, and that the field moved toward measuring and reporting on basic standards of outcome, and clinicians failing to meet those standards would be less resistant to ESTs. They added that recent well-conducted studies evaluating the value of adding ESTs to clinical practice suggest that the relatively small changes to practice can improve outcomes measurably and significantly.