Potential Usefulness of Technological Interventions to Improve Community Based Clinicians’ Implementation of Contingency Management with Fidelity for Adolescents with Substance Use Disorders

Abstract

Two potential barriers that may prevent community based clinicians from implementing Contingency Management (CM) with fidelity for adolescent substance use disorders include: First, fidelity measures used in highly resourced university-based treatment research are likely not practical for community settings that likely have fewer resources. And second, community based clinicians may have inadequate knowledge of CM and of how to address implementation barriers. Recent research is indicating that technological interventions may potentially address the aforementioned barriers and may improve community based clinicians implementing CM with fidelity. The purpose of this article is to describe results and potential implications from a recent pilot study that we conducted with CM experts (i.e., trainers of trainers) who trained and consulted with CM community based providers (i.e., CM supervisors, CM therapists) on implementing CM with fidelity for adolescent substance use disorders. CM experts indicate that the primary reasons for CM not being implemented with fidelity include: CM providers’ lack of familiarity with CM procedures and CM providers experiencing problems related to implementing CM with fidelity. These CM experts indicate that CM providers are not routinely using technology when preparing for, delivering, or reviewing CM and feel that technological interventions could improve community based clinicians’ implementation of CM with fidelity.

Keywords:

• community based clinicians
• fidelity
• adolescent substance use disorders contingency management
• technological interventions