CLINICAL RESEARCH COOPERATIVE

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As clinical trial researchers and treatment providers since 1974, we believe that the major need within the field of addiction is for a working partnership between leaders in the research and in the treatment provider community. This partnership should elevate the standards of both treatment and research in this field. To this end we have Philadelphia metropolitan statistical area as part of the NIDA Clinical Trials Network. We have recruited and cultivated collaborative relationships with seven of the very best organizations representing 60 treatment programs from this region; those with distinguished records in training and a record of community leadership. All the programs that have joined our cooperative have participated in multiple research projects over the past ten years and each program has empirical evidence of high quality treatment through prior, independent evaluations. Thus, our Cooperative has been constructed as a consortium of excellence in treatment, research and education. In this proposal we provide evidence that our Cooperative can contribute to the broader goals of changing the way addiction treatment is taught, practiced and perceived. Specifically, we will: * Direct at least one research study each year from one of three areas: 1. Controlled clinical trials of medications. 2. Controlled clinical trials of behavioral and psychosocial treatments. 3. Health Services and Practice studies of treatment access, financing and organization. * Participate in at least two additional research studies each year from the three areas. * Develop two important training and technology transfer skills. 1. Train new and existing professionals in the delivery, management and monitoring of the improved treatment methods. 2. Implement into standard practice within our Cooperative at least two medications and at least two behavioral therapies-by the end of the fifth year we will also have implemented at least one medication and one behavioral therapy into standard practice in programs outside the cooperative. * Represent the field of addiction to the world of providers, payers and policy makers, supporting medications and treatments that have been validated by the CTN.