Evaluating and Training Substance Abuse Counselors: A Pilot Study Assessing Standardized Patients as Authentic Clients

Abstract

Clinician training and supervision are needed to transfer evidence-based practices to community based treatment organizations. Standardized patients (SPs) are used for clinician training and evaluating. However, to be effective for substance abuse counselors, SPs must realistically portray substance abuse treatment clients. The current study assessed authenticity of SPs as substance abuse treatment clients. Twenty-one substance abuse counselors interviewed SP(s) with differing profiles. Counselors provided quantitative and qualitative ratings of SP authenticity. Counselor responses to the study procedures were analyzed as well. Quantitative results include high authenticity ratings for the SPs but counselors' subjective responses varied. Counselor's rated the experience of participating in the study positively and provided constructive comments for future applications of this methodology. Results support future work on SPs as teaching and evaluation tools in substance abuse counseling. Findings also illustrate the need to refine definitions of authenticity for SPs as substance abuse clients.

Standardized Patient Walkthroughs in the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network: Common Challenges to Protocol Implementation

“…While possible to develop a centralized training option for clinical and research staff to conduct their own standardized patient walkthroughs, previous research demonstrates that realistic portrayal of any substance abuse treatment client requires trained professionals (19). Availability of professional actors capable of realistically portraying substance abuse treatment clients likely varies across communities.…”

“…Utilizing standardized patients as substance abuse treatment clients is relatively new terrain (19). Even more novel are applications of the methodology to enhance training and identify potential for improvement in protocol procedures in clinical trials of interventions for substance use disorders (20).…”

“…The standardized patients (1 female and 1 male) were professional actors. For each protocol the actor’s role used scripts previously tested for authenticity (19), and modified to meet inclusion and exclusion criteria for the four studies. To maximize authenticity of clients at individual CTPs, the standardized patient research team conducted phone meetings with key personnel from each site.…”

“…Standardized patients, for example, trained third year medical students to conduct sexual history and HIV counseling (7) and portrayed an individual seeking peer support in order to evaluate available family to family services (8). Limited, yet expanding literature demonstrates possibilities for standardized patients portraying individuals with substance use disorders (9-18), including establishing authenticity of performances with substance abuse treatment practitioners conducting mock assessment interviews (19). Finally, standardized patient walkthroughs illustrate the utility of the methodology for enhanced training capable of identifying and ameliorating challenges to implementing protocol procedures (20).…”

15. Considering the Use of Standardized Clients in Professional Social Work Education

“…In fact, when compared to other academic disciplines, the research on the effectiveness of standardized clients within the field of social work is relatively limited. Standardized clients and patients have often been used in the following post secondary programs: law, medical, pharmaceutical, substance abuse counselling, and nursing (Austin, Gregory, & Tabak, 2006;Fussel, Lewy, & McFarland, 2009;Grosberg, 2001;Lourdes & Nelson, 2008;McWilliam & Botwinski, 2010;Stimmel, Cohen, Fallar, & Smith, 2006;Vessey & Huss, 2002). Thus, the information acquired by these disciplines can assist the social work profession in effectively implementing this educational strategy.…”