title: Training Addiction Counselors to Implement an Evidence-Based Intervention: Strategies for Increasing Organizational and Provider Acceptance.
abstract: One barrier to widespread public access to empirically supported treatments (ESTs) is the limited availability and high cost of professionals trained to deliver them. Our earlier work from two clinical trials demonstrated that front-line addiction counselors could be trained to deliver a manualized, group-based cognitive behavioral therapy (GCBT) for depression, a prototypic example of an EST, with a high level of adherence and competence. This follow-up article provides specific recommendations for the selection and initial training of counselors, and for the structure and process of their ongoing clinical supervision. Unique challenges in working with counselors unaccustomed to traditional clinical supervision are highlighted. The recommendations are based on comprehensive feedback derived from clinician notes taken throughout the clinical trials, a focus group with counselors conducted one year following implementation, and interviews with key organization executives and administrators.
authors.affiliation: Pepperdine University, Malibu, California.
authors.forename: Stephanie M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Kimberly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Hepner
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.forename: Karen Chan
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Osilla
authors.forename: Sarah B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: Ricardo F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.forename: Katherine E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Watkins
keywords: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT); addiction counselor; depression; training