Addiction Treatment Staff Perceptions of Training as a Facilitator or Barrier to Implementing Evidence-Based Practices: A National Qualitative Research Study

ABSTRACT

Background: This qualitative effort examines training-related facilitators and barriers to implementing evidence-based practices (EBPs) in 285 community-based addiction treatment organizations (CBOs) nationwide that were funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (SAMHSA/CSAT) to implement EBPs. Methods: Using qualitative interviews, the authors explored staff (N = 514) descriptions of training as a facilitator or barrier to implementation. Training-related factors were described 663 times as facilitators (by 440 staff) and 233 times as barriers (by 170 staff). Responses were coded using content analysis. Results: Specific characteristics of the training received, such as access to expert knowledge and quality, as well as ongoing training were described as central facilitating factors to EBP implementation. Key reasons training was perceived as a barrier included the amount of training; the training did not fit current staff and/or organizational needs; the training for some EBPs was perceived to be too demanding; and the difficulty accessing training. Conclusions: Since government funders of addiction treatments require that CBOs implement EBPs and they provide training resources, the quality, flexibility, and accessibility of the available training needs to be promoted throughout the addiction treatment network. Only 17% of CBOs reported that they used the SAMHSA-funded ATTC (Addiction Technology Transfer Center) training centers and 42% used SAMHSA technical assistance. Hence, federally funded resources for training were not always used.

Keywords:

• Addiction treatment
• barriers
• evidence-based practices
• facilitators
• training

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to thank the many staff who participated in the interviews. This research would not be possible without their time and valuable insights.

AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS

Melinda D’Ippolito led the research conception and design, collected data, conducted the data analysis, interpreted results, and wrote portions of the original manuscript as well as revisions.  Lena Lundgren assisted with research design, interpretation of results, and wrote portions of original manuscript and revisions.  Maryann Amodeo assisted with research design, wrote portions of original manuscript and revisions.  Clelia Beltrame collected data and contributed to the preliminary data analysis.  Lynn Lim worked on preliminary analysis and framework for analysis.  Deborah Chassler assisted with research design and collected data.