Counselor and Clinical Supervisor Perceptions of OASAS Tobacco-Free Regulation Implementation Extensiveness, Perceived Accountability, and Use of Resources

Abstract

New York State required substance use disorder (SUD) treatment programs to be 100% tobacco-free in 2008. The current study examined counselor (N = 364) and clinical supervisor (N = 98) perceptions of how extensively the tobacco-free regulation was implemented in their treatment programs, perceived accountability for implementing the regulation, and use of OASAS-provided resources to aid implementation one year after the regulation went into effect. Results showed that compared to counselors, supervisors perceive greater implementation extensiveness and report using more resources, yet they perceive lower accountability. In addition, whereas perceived accountability is significantly and positively associated with implementation extensiveness perceptions for counselors, the relationship is negative for supervisors. The association between use of resources and implementation extensiveness perceptions is significant and positive for both counselors and supervisors. We conclude that implementation experiences differ between counselors and clinical supervisors, suggesting the importance of tailoring interventions to promote tobacco-free policies in SUD treatment programs.

Keywords:

• implementation
• smoking treatment
• substance abuse treatment workforce
• substance use disorder treatment
• tobacco cessation

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Award Number R01DA026291 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse awarded to Lillian T. Eby. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not represent the official views of the National Institute on Drug Abuse or the National Institutes of Health.

Notes

*Items come directly from the nine components of the OASAS tobacco-free regulation, Title 14 NYCRR Part 856 (http://www.oasas.state.ny.us/tobacco/providers/reg856.cfm). Some of the original 9 regulatory components jointly referred to “patients, visitors and employees.” In developing the measure, separate items were created for each because the regulation might be implemented for patients but not visitors or employees.