New Center for Addictions Research and Services Opens
A special reception on Wednesday, January 24, 2007, celebrates the opening of the Boston University School of Social Work’s Center for Addictions Research and Services.
The Center addresses a broad range of addiction issues affecting individuals, families, and communities struggling with substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, and access to substance abuse treatment. The Center’s mission is “to aid society in reducing addictive disorders by providing more effective, knowledge-based, and equitable addiction treatment through quality research, evaluation, program development, and training.”
Leadership is provided by Dr. Lena Lundgren, Director, Dr. Melvin Delgado, Co-Director and Dr. Maryann Amodeo, Co-Director, all nationally recognized in the field of addiction. Their combined expertise has resulted in a record of high quality research, dissemination of research findings through publications and conference presentations, and an array of community innovations and interventions.
“We are very excited about our new Center for Addictions Research and Services,” comments Dr. Lundgren. “Formation of this Center is a milestone for us since it consolidates several addiction units and activities of the BU School of Social Work and allows us to collaborate more closely. We are now under one roof and are enjoying the benefits of that collaboration.”
The Center’s primary components are: (1) research and evaluation, (2) consultation on clinical services and programming, (3) community development and prevention, and (4) training and education.
Research and Evaluation
The Center’s research focuses on substance abuse issues affecting individuals, families, and communities. Research areas include:
* Role of substance abuse treatment in preventing HIV/AIDS
* Identifying patterns of service utilization among substance users
* Factors affecting access to substance abuse treatment
* Parental substance abuse and effects on children
* Methadone maintenance and other medically assisted treatments
* Racial/ethnic disparities in substance abuse treatment
* Assessment of outcomes in substance abuse training
* Influence of acculturation on use/abuse of alcohol and other drugs
* Substance abuse and co-occurring psychiatric disorders
Consultation on Clinical Services and Programming
The Center’s consultation on clinical services and programming focuses on the needs of substance abuse agencies and methods for improving client care. Areas include:
* Helping addiction agencies adopt evidence-based treatment practices
* Culturally-responsive substance abuse treatment
* Development of logic models to guide service delivery
* Designing improved assessment methods and individualized treatment plans
* Measurement of client outcomes
* Refining the methods and focus of clinical and administrative supervision
Program Development and Community Development
The Center’s community development and prevention services focus on empowering communities, coalitions and grass roots organizations by helping them build capacity to address substance abuse and HIV/AIDS problems in ways that are compatible with their culture, physical environment, membership, and goals. Areas include:
* Community asset assessments focusing on unidentified resources and supports within neighborhoods and communities
* Engagement of informal helping networks such as religious groups, herbalists, beauty parlors, pharmacies and grocery stores to implement prevention activities
* Utilization of a Positive Youth Development approach in engaging youth to build community strength
* Use of community murals, quilts, theater, and other group activities to assist in healing from violence, disease, trauma and loss