Counselor attitudes towards evidence-based treatments in drug and alcohol treatment centers

Research to practice continues to be a challenge when providing evidence-based programs to the public. This study investigates the attitudes concerning evidence-based practices of substance abuse counselors in drug and alcohol treatment centers. Data were collected using online surveys administered to 1054 counselors using the SAMHSA database for substance abuse centers. Most counselors do not feel strongly about using new techniques to treat patients in substance abuse treatment centers. Only 17.1% strongly agree they like to use new types of therapy/interventions to help their patients. 18.2% strongly agree they are willing to try new types of therapy/interventions even if they have to follow a treatment manual. 19.9% strongly agree they are willing to use different types of therapy/interventions developed by researchers. 18.8% strongly agree they would try a new therapy/intervention even if it were different from what they are used to doing. Further, most are indifferent about the statement “I know better than academic researchers how to care for my patients” (49.1%) and feel similarly about the statement “clinical experience is more important than using manualized therapy/interventions” (51.1%). Most disagree that research-based treatments/interventions are not clinically useful (55.2%). Researchers and practitioners are at a crossroads. Implementation of evidence-based research is essential for changing behaviors and having standard treatments. We must find a way to move practitioners from being ambivalent or neutral towards new and evidence- based therapies to helping researchers implement, evaluate, and modify as needed. Further, research on practitioner's trust of the academic environment could be invaluable.