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The Center for the Integration
of Research & Practice

Mission Statement

The mission of the Center for the Integration of Research & Practice (CIRP) is to integrate science and service in the treatment of substance abuse and related disorders, especially psychological disorders and criminal behavior. CIRP seeks to advance the knowledge dissemination and technology transfer efforts of NDRI and to promote the use of "best practices" in the service field. The development of CIRP reflects the growing need in the substance abuse field to "bridge the gap" between research and practice by developing research studies relevant to emerging issues in the field and by translating research findings into practical guidelines for immediate clinical application. In accomplishing its mission, the CIRP staff collaborates with other NDRI centers and a variety of participating programs and agencies, establishing a community of scientific professionals dedicated to the integration of research and practice.

The goals of the CIRP are:

  1. To improve program quality - by providing training, consultation and technical assistance in program design, development, and implementation; and by developing manuals and quality assurance protocols for monitoring program quality. For example, staff has published manuals for the treatment of homeless mentally ill chemical abusing (MICA) individuals, addicted mothers, and MICA men in the NYC shelter system, and provides technical assistance to prison programs (both MICA and non-MICA).
  2. To advance research-based and evidence-based programming - by conducting "real world" services research, by studying exemplary treatment models developed and nominated by practitioners, and by translating research findings for service field application. Examples of this are the study of an innovative family and aftercare model for homeless families, and the study of a pioneering modified TC prison and aftercare program for MICA inmates.
  3. To study and facilitate the process and outcome of technology transfer - by exploring issues significant for the adoption of new technologies by treatment staff and programs, by advancing and testing innovative strategies for knowledge transfer and application, and by developing NDRI products for technology transfer. For example, a proposed project will develop applications of the Treatment Improvement Protocol "Substance Abuse Treatment for Persons with Co-Occurring Disorders" for use by Substance Abuse Treatment Agencies in programming for COD.

In the future, CIRP will continue to conduct economic analyses of treatment programs, undertake new initiatives on the "anatomy" and organizational/system context of treatment, and initiate studies of strategies to affect policy and planning. In these ways, CIRP will undertake to influence and advance treatment policy and treatment planning.