5084.0: Wednesday, October 24, 2001: 10:30 AM-12:00 PM |
Oral Session |
| Bridging Research Knowledge to Community Practice: The public Health Imperative for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services |
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| A recent IOM report observed that it can take from 15-20 years between the discovery of an effective treatment or intervention and its adoption as part of state-of-the-art care. With the near doubling of the Federal health research commitment in the past few years, the gap between knowledge and its application in practice may grow still greater without a fundamental change in how scientific advances are incorporated into community care. Perhaps nowhere is this of greater concern in the interest of public health than in the fields of substance abuse and mental health care. After all, these illnesses represent five of the leading 10 causes of disability not only in the US, but worldwide. Moreover, mental and addictive disorders take a significant toll on physical health and well-being – with indirect costs outstripping the costs of direct care. SAMHSA’s Acting Administrator convenes a panel of mental health services, addiction treatment and substance abuse prevention leaders who are working to fund and deliver evidence-based services in communities nationwide. They will explore ways to reduce and, ultimately close the science-to-practice gap in mental health and substance abuse. |
| Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to:
1. Articulate the key reasons why mental health services, substance abuse prevention and addiction treatment are focal to the public health.
2. Identify 3-4 ways in which the research-to-practice gap can be reduced in an effective and enduring way, in the mental and addictive services arenas.
3. Identify the economic challenges that must be overcome to help move research to community-based care in the mental health and substance abuse fields. |
| Moderator(s): | Joseph Autry |
| Sponsor: | APHA-Special Sessions |
| CE Credits: | CME, Health Education (CHES), Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work |