When faced with a difficult or unusual case, where do substance abuse and mental health treatment providers, prevention specialists, and others responsible for providing behavioral health services look to find the best method for delivering treatment to individuals in need? Often, extensive clinical research evidence and the experiences of others can help providers improve their practices, but this information is scattered and can be hard to find. In other instances, research-based findings do not exist to guide the delivery of treatment and prevention services. Fortunately, providers can turn to Treatment Improvement Protocols (TIPs) — comprehensive guidelines in specific areas of treatment and prevention that combine the judgment of experts and evidence from clinical research and practice into consensus guidelines. CDM produces TIPs from concept to completion to help improve treatment and prevention services for individuals who have or are at risk of developing substance use or mental disorders.

For the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) Knowledge Application Program (KAP), CDM assists in making knowledge developed through SAMHSA’s grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements available to substance abuse treatment counselors, mental health clinicians, prevention workers, program administrators, and other behavioral health and primary care professionals. KAP’s goals are accomplished through application of the latest theories in social marketing research, health care research and communications, diffusion of innovations, adult learning, and motivation to change professional practices.

By using formats and strategies that reach and communicate most effectively with targeted audiences, CDM helps support the adoption of new professional practices. KAP produces new knowledge through the consensus-based TIPs series of documents. We have produced TIPs on a wide range of behavioral health topics, from concept to completion.

Based on TIPs, KAP Keys are handy, durable, laminated cards that enable the busy clinician or program administrator to locate information easily and use this information to enhance treatment services.

Quick Guides for clinicians or administrators clearly and concisely present the information from a TIP or other document in a pocket-size booklet. Each Quick Guide is divided into sections to help clinicians or administrators quickly locate relevant material.

CDM has won several APEX Awards for excellence for products developed under the KAP contract. A complete list of awards can be found here.