Pennsylvania Practice Improvement Collaborative

MISSION

The Pennsylvania Practice Improvement Collaborative (PIC), administered by the Institute for Research, Education, and Training in Addictions (IRETA), seeks to ensure that research findings are effectively translated into practice. This statewide PIC will work with policymakers, providers, researchers, consumers, funders, persons representing culturally specific groups, and community service programs to promote the adoption of evidence-based practices. The Pennsylvania PIC will conduct programs of knowledge exchange and technology transfer, promote the adoption of evidence-based treatment interventions in a manner that is culturally competent, and conduct studies on effective implementation methods.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

• Pennsylvania Community Providers Association and Drug and Alcohol Service Providers Organization of Pennsylvania (DASPOP)
• Eleven academic partners (Pennsylvania State University, Thomas Jefferson University, Lincoln University, MPC Hahnemann, University of Pittsburgh, Temple University, Marywood University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, King's College, and Scranton College)
• Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center, Inc.
• AA Historian and owner of the Bishops of Books
• Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare
• Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield
• Gaudenzia (community provider organization)
• Department of Health, Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs
• Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency
• Community Care Behavioral Health Organization (Medicaid HMO)
• Diversity Outreach Program, Pennsylvania State Outreach and Cooperative Extension
• York Behavioral Health System/Delphic Mental Health Associates (cross-cultural services)
• Pennsylvania Association of County Drug and Alcohol Administrators, Inc.

GOVERNANCE

A Board of Directors and an expert Steering Committee guide the organization. The 16-member Board of Directors is responsible for establishing policy and providing supervision to the Executive Director. The committees of the Board of Directors include Executive, Finance, Steering Committee Liaison, Fundraising, and Nominating. The Steering Committee, charged with assisting the PIC in developing and implementing its annual plan, is composed of seven types of stakeholders: policymakers, providers, consumers, funders, persons representing culturally specific groups, researchers, and other social service agencies. Working Groups are involved with training, network development, evidence-based practice, and policy development.

STAKEHOLDER EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT

The Pennsylvania PIC is developing a knowledge adoption workshop for providers that introduces participants to the components of research methods (including ethics) and provides them with a working knowledge of how to critically review research articles. A researcher-in-residence program links researchers with community-based treatment organizations and county oversight entities. A quarterly newsletter originally published under the auspices of IRETA has covered topics such as nicotine addiction; substance abuse treatment and the criminal justice client; and adolescents and substance abuse. The PIC operates a website in conjunction with IRETA and is developing a formal public awareness campaign including an information packet and a brochure to further disseminate information about its activities to the community of providers, policymakers, researchers, and consumers.

PRACTICE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS

EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES

• Relapse prevention/reentry services for substance-abusing offenders
• Performance monitoring systems

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES

• Conduct a psychoeducational program for parole officers and other criminal justice personnel to assess re-entry substance abuse service needs of offenders and provide for service linkage
• Conduct a conference to review and evaluate how Medicaid and Clinical Information System data can be utilized to monitor substance abuse service delivery in the state
• Expand the state substance abuse treatment encounter database to incorporate performance monitoring measures and implement a performance monitoring system

EVALUATION ACTIVITIES

• Evaluate the effectiveness of implementing a psychoeducational program for offenders about to be released into the community
• Evaluate the ability of a performance monitoring system to monitor substance abuse treatment and ensure culturally competent service delivery approaches

CONTACT INFORMATION