Iowa Practice Improvement Collaborative

MISSION

The Iowa Practice Improvement Collaborative (PIC) is a statewide collaborative that seeks to strengthen relationships among the Iowa Consortium for Substance Abuse Research and Evaluation, the Prairielands Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC), the Iowa Substance Abuse Program Directors Association, and the Iowa Division of Health Promotion, Prevention, and Addictive Disorders. The Iowa PIC's goals are to increase contact and communication among providers, policymakers, consumers, and researchers; identify major substance abuse practice improvement needs for the state; and develop a plan to address those needs using a collaborative process that actively engages providers, policymakers, researchers, and consumers at every stage.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

• Iowa Consortium for Substance Abuse Research and Evaluation
• Prairielands ATTC
• Iowa Substance Abuse Program Directors Association
• Iowa Department of Public Health, Division of Health Promotion, Prevention, and Addictive Behaviors
• Iowa Department of Corrections
• Iowa Department of Criminal and Juvenile Justice
• Consumer Advisory Commission
• University of Iowa College of Public Health

GOVERNANCE

A 14-member Advisory Board meets quarterly to discuss progress, seek advice on project development, recruit new members, and share information about activities and priorities in the state. Three committees played a key role in the PIC's development: Epidemiology Committee, Treatment/Intervention Committee, and Prevention Committee. Committees met to identify and prioritize statewide needs. Thirteen project teams that include at least one provider, one policymaker, and one researcher have been established for the implementation phase and address the four priority areas identified in the needs assessment. Individual project teams meet at least monthly. The three PIC co-chairs meet on a monthly basis to provide updates on project progress, recruitment, and other PIC activities. PIC staff meets with the Project Director on a weekly basis.

STAKEHOLDER EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT

The Iowa PIC has organized a workshop series, one of which assisted area education agency substance abuse coordinators to interpret and use the Iowa Youth Survey. A correspondence workshop trained substance abuse counselors to use research findings in their practice, and two all-day workshops focused on bridging the gap between practice and research in the area of women and substance abuse. The PIC organized an interactive practice/research symposium on the transition of substance-abusing offenders from prison back into the community. The PIC also provides web-based technical assistance to policymakers, hosts a web page targeting providers that offers training in using data on evidence-based practices, and publishes a newsletter that reports on PIC activities and new developments in the field.

PRACTICE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS

EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES

• Integrated treatment for individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse (MH/SA) disorders
• Gender-sensitive SA treatment addressing needs of women with children

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES

• Conduct training and case conference presentations on integrated treatment for co-occurring disorders
• Develop an instrument to assess perceived competence in working with women and children
• Develop a manual on establishing child care facility in SA agencies
• Develop a tool kit and training on providing services to children of SA clients

EVALUATION ACTIVITIES

• Develop instruments to measure provider attitudes and knowledge with respect to treatment for co-occurring disorders in rural areas
• Evaluate the effectiveness of standard versus enhanced (with case conferences and supervision) training in integrated treatment for individuals with co-occurring MH/SA disorders
• Evaluate multiple training approaches (face-to-face, video, web-based, supervision-based) through video conferencing on implementing gender-sensitive treatment interventions

CONTACT INFORMATION