Implementing an evidence-based treatment includes tracking fidelity and outcomes so that you can know if you are having the desired effect and to track, monitor, and enhance the reliability and validity of interventions. In essence, treatment fidelity means that you are implementing the interventions the way they were designed to be implemented. You also want to ensure that you and/or your staff are up-to-date on training and interventions so that you can achieve the greatest success. The Training Support System (TSS) provides everything you will need to support yourself and/or your agency as you provide CM as a treatment for youth addictions.
Support for Contingency Management Providers
Comprehensive Training
The comprehensive Training Support System (TSS) begins with an interactive, web-based training will prepare your therapists to provide CM. This 15 hour training is entirely web-based which enables your staff to complete the modules at times and locations that are convenient to them. By being web-based you can save on the high costs of travel, room and board, and “lost hours” that accompany most off-site trainings. The training is eligible for educational licensure credits and includes periodic knowledge checks throughout.
Access to a Lead Trainer
You have full access to a Lead Trainer assigned to your agency. This Lead Trainer is an expert in CM and is available to aid your agency in implementing CM. Your Lead Trainer is available each day during office hours or for scheduled appointments for 1:1 training support, resources, demonstration of skills, and role-play to practice skills. You can reach your Lead Trainer through email, phone, text, video conference, or live chat. In addition, your Lead Trainer can provide agency support to help build your program, market your CM program, and help with building referrals.
eLibrary and Networking
A web-based eLibrary is kept up-to-date in the TSS. This provides you with resources, forms and documentation, as well as the latest information on drug abuse trends and info. The TSS also links you to the CM community of providers where we can learn from each other. You can post questions to the community, offer resources for the library or read about the challenges and successes of other professionals who are providing the same treatment that you are.
Training Support and Continuous Quality Improvement System
As a provider you will have unlimited access to the TSS for treatment outcome monitoring, measures of fidelity, identification of staff training needs, and a continuous quality improvement process that can help your agency grow and succeed. These resources and outcome reports are incredibly useful for reporting outcomes to stakeholders and funding sources as well as for grant applications.
Ongoing Booster Training
Continuous training and professional development through booster training and provider networking events. Ongoing booster trainings help counteract any drift and guide counselors back to the treatment model so that you can achieve better outcomes. Booster training topics focus on areas of interest and impact for your organization and personal skill development. Training can be provided for your whole agency’s CM counselors or individualized for each counselor.
Materials for Counselors
Each counselor receives the CM text book, the training companion treatment binder, hard copies of all training materials, and a digital recorder. These items are used during trainings, as well as in CM treatment sessions. For example, the binder is an organized system where providers can quickly access all the forms and documents used during CM. Together, these materials, trainings, and other components form Arena’s comprehensive Training Support System.
Accountability and Fidelity
We utilize three ways to evaluate fidelity and each of these is a part of the Training Support System (TSS):
The TAM is a research-based survey completed by the caregiver once per month throughout the duration of treatment as a measure of adherence to the CM treatment model. High scores on the TAM indicate that a therapist is implementing CM interventions the way they were designed to be implemented.
It is easy to forget things that we learn after a training. Once a year counselors complete a Knowledge Test to help identify any areas of CM they may need to brush up on and, with the assistance of the Lead Trainer, counselors will be able to complete additional training to strengthen their techniques.
One of the most helpful ways to improve skills and expand expertise is through review of session audio tapes. Each counselor is supplied with a digital audio recorder to record CM sessions. These are uploaded to the TSS and periodically the Lead Trainer scores the session. With the assistance of a Lead Trainer, counselors use this outcome to strengthen their clinical skills.
In addition to monitoring fidelity to the CM model, which has been proven to improve client outcomes, the TSS directly tracks client improvement for the CM clients of each counselor.
The Lead Trainer assigned to the agency reports a summary of counselors’ performance and progress. This helps guide professional development and outcome improvement. The Lead Trainer also is available for remediation planning.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, fidelity and outcome data summaries are available at any time to the agency and counselors, and the agency’s Lead Trainer is available to provide assistance and feedback.