Los Angeles Practice Improvement Collaborative

MISSION

The Los Angeles Practice Improvement Collaborative (LAPIC) is a network of community substance abuse treatment providers and researchers committed to improving the quality of interaction and exchange between service providers, policymakers, researchers, and members of the recovery community in the substance abuse field. The goal of the LAPIC is to improve service coordination and delivery for substance-involved individuals by working with a variety of stakeholders to implement targeted, evidence-based substance abuse treatment practices and to evaluate different implementation strategies.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

• UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Program's researchers
• Palms Residential Care Facility (HIV, dual diagnosed)
• His Sheltering Arms, Inc. (women and their children)
• Free 'N' One (family focused)
• Three additional drug and alcohol treatment providers (TBN)
• Two consumers
• Los Angeles County Alcohol and Drug Program Administration representative

GOVERNANCE

The LAPIC consists of three primary components: an Executive Committee, a Steering Committee, and a Knowledge Adoption Study Team. The Steering Committee is the primary decision-making body of the organization; members attend monthly meetings, provide input in the development of meeting agendas, plan and oversee the implementation of needs assessment activities, and assist the Knowledge Adoption Study Team. The Executive Committee plans and coordinates activities of the Steering Committee and ensures actions are consistent with grant requirements. The Knowledge Adoption Study Team provides technical guidance and has responsibility for design and implementation of evaluation activities.

STAKEHOLDER EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT

The LAPIC held a Knowledge Dissemination Conference, Common Ground, Common Language, Common Goals: Bringing Substance Abuse Practice and Research Together, April 26-27, 2001, that was attended by over 500 representatives from substance abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery programs, research programs, government agencies, and schools. The LAPIC promotes local efforts to improve knowledge exchange among community stakeholders by hosting a website (www.prclike.net) and provides periodic demonstrations for community providers in the use of the website. The PIC also is developing a biannual newsletter to disseminate the activities of the PIC and relevant evidence-based research findings.

PRACTICE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS

EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES

• Africentric Motivational Intervention (AMI)
• Use of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI)
• Treatment of stimulant abuse/dependence disorders
• Treatment for people with physical and cognitive disabilities (TIP #29)

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES

• Conduct training for community-based providers to use culturally congruent AMI
• Assess community treatment providers' awareness and current application of the principles specified in the CSAT Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) #29, Substance Use Disorder Treatment for People with Physical and Cognitive Disabilities
• Conduct training for substance abuse providers in the use of a newly translated Spanish version of the Matrix Manual, an outpatient treatment protocol for stimulant abuse and dependence disorders

EVALUATION ACTIVITIES

• Evaluate the implementation of culturally congruent training (AMI) within selected drug abuse treatment programs (20 counselors from 5 programs)
• Evaluate the application of the ASI in 44 Los Angeles County-contracted treatment agencies
• Assess organizational readiness to implement evidence-based treatment protocols

CONTACT INFORMATION