Adapting, Implementing, and Maintaining a Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program at an Inpatient Addiction Treatment Facility

BACKGROUND: Quality training is an oft-cited barrier to effective implementation and ongoing delivery of high-quality evidence-based practice (EBP) across fields. This is especially true in the addiction field, but there is little cited evidence for optimal methods to improve EBP in inpatient addiction facilities with minimal resources. OBJECTIVE: The current paper focuses on evaluating the state of our facility’s group CBT manual and clinical training on the manual in a “realistic” (ie, non-RCT, non-grant-funded) inpatient addiction treatment setting. METHODS: Five full-time clinicians volunteered to take part in the study (woman = 60%; M(age) = 36.20 years). The study involved a mix of semi-structured interviews and surveys designed to measure seven outcomes (barriers, feasibility, useability, appropriateness, acceptability, burden, trialability). RESULTS: Three themes emerged from the data that impacted the group CBT manual: training, timing, and functionality. Addressing these themes allowed for a new, optimal manual and training procedure to be put into place. CONCLUSION: The current study highlights that under-resourced inpatient addiction facilities can still methodically utilize implementation approaches to study their EBP, namely CBT. Such an approach will ensure that the highest quality care is being delivered to patients and actively addresses known training barriers that prevent proper EBP delivery.