Directly Funded Clinics Certified Twice As Many Staff In Evidence-Based Youth Addiction Treatment As State-Funded Programs

Across 164 treatment organizations in 35 states, clinics that received federal grants directly certified 72% of eligible staff in the Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach (A-CRA), a 12- to 14-week behavioral treatment for young people ages 12 to 25. Clinics funded through state-run programs certified 36% of eligible staff. Even after accounting for factors such as staff turnover, the number of people trained, and grant duration, directly funded clinics maintained a 27-percentage-point advantage in certification rates.

Researchers reviewed certification records, conducted interviews with 249 clinic staff across 154 organizations, and surveyed staff at 202 organizations. The . . .