Exploring Evidence-Based Substance Abuse Treatment for Adolescents

What does it take to make substance abuse treatment successful for adolescents? This question was recently explored by EDC’s MetroWest Technical Assistance Center (MTAC), a resource center funded by the MetroWest Community Health Care Foundation guiding ten local communities to use research-based strategies to prevent and reduce youth substance use.

As part of the project’s ongoing work to encourage the use of research-based strategies in prevention and treatment, fifty local “gatekeepers” – guidance counselors, police, school administrators, and clinicians who refer adolescents to treatment – recently came together to learn about current research on adolescent substance abuse treatment.  The meeting featured John A. Fromson, MD, vice president of professional development for the Massachusetts Medical Society, and Jody Kamon, Ph.D, associate director of the Vermont Treatment Enhancement Collaborative and research associate at the New England Institute of Addiction Studies, two leading experts on evidence-based substance abuse treatment for adolescents.

“We know that treatment programs with data to support their effectiveness are the most successful in helping adolescents with substance abuse problems, but that professionals face a host of barriers to using these evidence-based practices, including a lack of awareness and comfort around adopting new treatment modalities,” says Diane Barry, project director of the MTAC.  “This meeting was designed to increase participants’ knowledge of what evidence-based practices are and why they are important so that people who work with youth remain on the forefront of providing the most effective services.”  

Dr. Fromson opened the workshop by presenting the National Institute for Drug Abuse’s (NIDA) prevention principles and encouraged participants to think of them as ingredients in a successful recipe.  Designed to help parents, educators, and community leaders think about, plan for, and deliver research-informed and community-based drug abuse prevention programs, these sixteen prevention principles represent the core components of drug abuse prevention programs.  (see sidebar for the link to the prevention principles) 

Dr. Jody Kamon, a psychologist from Vermont, followed with a keynote presentation that defined evidence-based practices, highlighted the current state of research, and identified the benefits and challenges of implementing evidence-based practices.  Compared to programs without a strong scientific base, she noted that evidence-based practices have several advantages.

“Evidence-based practices signal to consumers and providers that the most effective treatment available is being used and as a result, increase the reputation and status of the field,” Kamon said.  “They hold providers and professionals accountable and may lead to differential funding and program approval, since many state and federal agencies are moving towards a performance-based system where funding is linked to outcomes.”

According to Kamon and many others, research-based treatments also have been found to be more effective than other treatment modalities in achieving successful outcomes.  “Numerous studies have found that adolescents who receive evidence-based treatments fair significantly better than those who receive no services or non-evidence-based clinical services,” says Kamon.  “This means that evidence-based treatments appear more likely than other modalities to reduce mental health and substance abuse problems and help practitioners achieve a range of other desired outcomes.”

Dr. Kamon also offered specific examples of effective adolescent assessment, treatment, and recovery programs.  In her presentation, she talked about the growing support for family-based treatment, particularly outpatient models, noting that these models may produce better outcomes than other treatment models. (see sidebar on evidence-based outpatient family treatment programs).

Margo Deane, the director of the Framingham Coalition for the Prevention of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, a community-based organization committed to reducing alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse, said the meeting raised the bar around providing services to MetroWest youth.  “The meeting gave participants the building blocks to understand and think about using evidence-based practices in their own work,” says Deane.  “We left with an increased recognition of what these practices entail and how they can bring about successful outcomes.”

In closing, Dr. Kamon stated that evidence-based programs make good sense and encouraged participants to use programs that have been demonstrated to work.  However, she also offered a word of caution: “At the same time, we have a way to go to understand best strategies for implementing these programs and sustaining use over time.”   She suggested an increasing need for communication between researchers, funders, community partners and youth and families.

To learn more about this meeting or the MetroWest Technical Assistance Center, please contact Diane Barry, 617-618-2303.

July 26, 2007