/ Expert meeting with NFP participation / / 23 January, 2013
/ Lisbon, EMCDDA headquarters, room 107
/ Experts: Peter Tossmann and Wilfried Kunstmann (DE), Lidia Segura (ES), Jacek Moskalewicz (PL), Andrew Brown and Jim McCambridge (UK)
Participants: NFPs, AP, MF, GB, ABO, RSI, interested EMCDDA staff and students from the academic programmes of the EMCDDA.
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Introduction
Early intervention is repeatedly mentioned in EU drugs strategies and is supported by evidence especially for alcohol users, but little is known about how and for which target groups it is actually being used in member states. Little known are also the possibilities of using established techniques for alcohol users like Brief Intervention and Motivational Interviewing in other settings and for users of other substances, even though a recent review found some evidence in reducing substance use if compared with no intervention. Policy makers and professionals might need to know more about how to implement these strategies in larger scale and about the obstacles to be expected when passing scientific findings into practice. We have invited experts with experiences related to each of those questions. We hope that the National Focal Points are able to send staff or experts to complement the debates with their experiences and knowledge of the field and of organisational structures. From the input of the discussions we envisage to compile a short publication that explores the potentials of brief interventions and motivational interviewing in relation to alcohol and cannabis use, as well as other behaviours.
Objectives of the workshop:
The objectives of the meeting are to share views and experience on
· implementation barriers and effects, including issues of fidelity
· transferability to other settings and organisational contexts
· applicability for substances other than alcohol, above all cannabis and new drugs
· roll-out within primary health or prevention systems
· transferability across countries
· use in street work and outreach work settings
National Focal Points are invited to attend and to contribute to the discussions.
Agenda
Chair panel: Gregor Burkhart, Roland Simon, Alessandro Pirona
9:30-9:45 / RSI /GP/ AP / Welcome and introduction to the topic9:45-10:00 / L. Segura / Screening and brief intervention in primary care (alcohol, implementation issues)
10:00-10:15 / W. Kunstmann / Screening and brief intervention in primary care in Germany (current practices, shortcomings and future developments)
10:15-10.30 / J. Moscalewicz / Screening and brief intervention in emergency care (alcohol, effectiveness issues)
10:30-11:00 / Q&A and discussion
11:00-11:30 / all / Coffee break
11:30-11:45 / P. Tossmann / Online Motivational Interview session(s) for alcohol and cannabis users (effectiveness and implementation issues)
11:45-12:00 / all / Short debate
12:00-12:15 / J. McCambridge / Motivational interviewing for young cannabis users (fidelity and effectiveness issues)
12:15-12:30 / all / Short debate
12:30-12:45 / A. Brown / Screening & motivational interviewing with vulnerable young people in street work settings
12:45-13:00 / all / Short debate
13:00-14:00 / all / Lunch
14:00-14:30 / all / Exchange of views: questions on effectiveness of different methods, including issues of fidelity. “Does it work, under which conditions, for whom, for which behaviours?” What aspects are to consider when we introduce early intervention in the Best Practice Portal?
14:30-15:00 / all / From scientific findings to changing practice and systems, what to do?
Exchange of views: questions on implementation (barriers) and roll-out
· within primary health or prevention systems
· use in other settings and organisational contexts (outreach work, Web)
· across countries
15:30-16:00 / all / Coffee break
16:00-16:30 / all / Continuation of debate: what answers and suggestions can be given to professionals and policy makers?
16:30 / all / Conclusions and discussion on the structure of a possible publication
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