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The blending of resources, information, and
talent are all goals of a landmark initiative developed in
2001 by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s
(SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT). The
interagency agreement called the NIDA/SAMHSA-ATTC Blending
Initiative is designed to meld science and practice together
to improve drug abuse and addiction treatment.
This initiative encourages the use of current
evidence-based treatment interventions by professionals in
the drug abuse treatment field. "Blending Teams,"
comprised of staff from CSAT's Addiction Technology Transfer
Center (ATTC) Network and NIDA researchers, are charged with
the dissemination of research results for adoption and implementation
into practice.
NIDA has identified specific research practices
as ready for use by the field at large. Specifically, each
team will develop a strategic dissemination plan for introducing
particular research findings using a number of different mechanisms
for effective adoption within communities, such as trainings,
self-study programs, workshops, and distance learning opportunities.
Harnessing the skills, resources, and knowledge
of these two Federal agencies will facilitate moving important
scientific findings into mainstream addiction treatment practice.
Furthermore, this effort will establish and maintain regional
and national partnerships with drug abuse researchers and
community-based treatment providers as well as policy makers,
stakeholders, and the general public. This NIDA/SAMHSA-ATTC
collaboration is an important mechanism for disseminating
recent progress in drug addiction research and forging important
linkages. Reaching the frontline people who are providing
services to people with substance use disorders is imperative
to the success of drug abuse treatment programs throughout
the country.
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