Nevada Practice Improvement Collaborative

MISSION

The Nevada Practice Improvement Collaborative (PIC) is a joint effort of practitioners, researchers, policymakers, educators, and consumers to improve the quality of treatment services by increasing the dissemination and application of evidence-based practices. The stakeholders in this PIC created a knowledge adoption agenda focusing on the issues of stigma, field effectiveness, client engagement, substance-abusing juvenile offenders, and treatment outcomes.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

• Center for the Application of Substance Abuse Technologies (University of Nevada, Reno), which administers five technology transfer projects:
  • Mountain West ATTC
  • Western Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies
  • Nevada Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Training Project
  • Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information
  • Frontier Recovery Network
• University of Nevada, Reno, Psychology Department
• Nevada Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs
• University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Counseling and Psychology Departments
• Nevada Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse
• Washoe County and Clark County Juvenile Services
• Nevada Department of Children and Family Services
• Join Together of Northern Nevada
• Reno High School Parents Against Substance Abuse
• Nevada Association of Addiction Educators

GOVERNANCE

The Nevada PIC is governed by a Steering Committee whose members hold 2-year terms and are appointed by the Nevada PIC general membership. Fifteen members make up the Steering Committee: three researchers, six practitioners, three policymakers, two educators, and one consumer. Currently there are two subcommittees (Practice/Research Agenda, and Policy and Implementation), and every stakeholder must be a member of at least one of the subcommittees.

STAKEHOLDER EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT

The PIC hosts a 2-day statewide Summer Institute workshop on knowledge transfer and application of evidence-based practices. A series of weekly clinical meetings for researchers is planned as part of a PIC-sponsored practitioner-researcher exchange; in addition, practitioners will spend 15 hours in research-related activities. The PIC is developing a website, as well as online and CD-ROM-based courses on evidence-based practices. A series of brown bag lunches on topics of interest to PIC members is planned.

PRACTICE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS

EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES

• Cross-training of juvenile probation officers and substance abuse counselors
• Performance indicators in treatment monitoring
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Intensive Twelve-Step Facilitation, Enhanced Intensive Twelve-Step Facilitation, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES

• Cross train juvenile probation officers and substance abuse counselors (in principles of addiction treatment, family therapy, and juvenile justice)
• Develop a treatment monitoring system
• Train addiction counselors in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Intensive Twelve-Step Facilitation, Enhanced Intensive Twelve-Step Facilitation, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

EVALUATION ACTIVITIES

• Evaluate impact of cross-training in addictions and juvenile justice
• Evaluate the effectiveness of standard versus intensive training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Intensive Twelve-Step Facilitation, Enhanced Intensive Twelve-Step, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

CONTACT INFORMATION