Practice Improvement Collaborative of Greater New Orleans

MISSION

The mission of the Practice Improvement Collaborative of Greater New Orleans (NO-PIC) is to improve substance abuse treatment by increasing communication, collaboration, and understanding among researchers, practitioners, policymakers, consumers of substance abuse treatment services and other community stakeholders. The NO-PIC, administered by the Substance Abuse Services Alliance (SASA), seeks to increase the level of interaction among stakeholders through knowledge exchange and technology transfer activities, and promote and sustain the adoption of evidenced-base treatment methodologies for targeted populations, including adolescents and previously incarcerated substance involved offenders.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

• Core provider network, including 13 community treatment organizations
• Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals
• District Attorney of New Orleans
• Orleans Criminal Sheriff
• University of Texas Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC)
• Tulane University Medical Center
• Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
• Tulane University School of Social Work
• Southern University of New Orleans School of Social Work
• Three consumer representatives

GOVERNANCE

The parent organization of SASA is the Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (CADA). The PIC operates under the direction of the CADA Governing Board and Executive Director and with the guidance of the SASA Advisory Council. The primary operations arm of the PIC is the Steering Committee, which includes 15 public sector, university, provider, and consumer representatives. Steering Committee members oversee the development and implementation of the practice improvement agenda and the activities of four subcommittees, including Ethics, Fund Development, Community Voice, and Public/Media Relations. A Project Implementation Team is responsible for day-to-day management of the PIC activities.

STAKEHOLDER EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT

The NO-PIC will sponsor an annual statewide conference in conjunction with the Louisiana Office of Addictive Disorders, the State Best Practices Task Force, and the University of Texas ATTC. The PIC also conducts a series of monthly lectures delivered by local researchers on dissemination of best practices to local practitioners. In addition, a more broadly focused series of monthly lectures on knowledge transfer and adoption of best practices in substance abuse is offered and attended by consumers, criminal justice professionals, substance abuse treatment providers, researchers, and policymakers. The PIC is establishing researcher-in-residence programs to promote ongoing partnerships between area researchers and community-based organizations. The PIC maintains a provider-researcher database and a website and organizes community stakeholder networking meetings and a guest lecture program.

PRACTICE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS

EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES

• Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) for adolescents with substance abuse disorders
• MET with previously incarcerated substance-involved offenders (PISIOs)

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES

• Conduct focus groups of providers to adapt MET Manual to ensure cultural sensitivity
• Conduct consumer and provider focus groups to address barriers to adopting MET and to modify application with adolescents and PISIOs
• Conduct MET training workshops that are culturally sensitive to post-incarcerated substance-involved offenders and to substance-involved adolescents

EVALUATION ACTIVITIES

• Study effectiveness of implementing a culturally sensitive adaptation of MET training in selected substance abuse treatment programs for post-incarcerated substance-involved offenders
• Study effectiveness of implementing a culturally sensitive adaptation of MET training in selected substance abuse treatment programs for substance-involved adolescents

CONTACT INFORMATION