NIDA Products Take Science to Clinic

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has unveiled two new products to help drug-treatment clinicians team up with the agency to more quickly incorporate—or “blend”—cutting-edge, science-based interventions into clinical practice.

The two products are “Motivational Interviewing Assessment: Supervisory Tools for Enhancing Proficiency” (MIA: STEP) and“ Promoting Awareness of Motivational Incentives” (PAMI).

MIA:STEP is designed for clinical supervisors to train front-line treatment providers to improve their motivational interviewing skills. It includes a new package treatment instrument to help providers better engage their patients and retain them in treatment.

PAMI includes tools providing information about science-based drug-treatment interventions called motivational incentives. NIDA explains that these incentives include vouchers, prizes, privileges, and other low- or no-cost positive reinforcements and describes the most therapeutic way to use them to retain patients in drug-treatment programs.

The products are part of NIDA's expanding portfolio of “Blending Teams” materials. To enhance their dissemination, NIDA is hosting a number of conferences around the country “to facilitate communication between researchers and treatment providers.”

More information about NIDA's Blending Team products, initiatives, and conferences can be accessed at<www.drugabuse.gov/blending/>.▪