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How Did the New Concept Treatment Program Come into Being?
The New Concept Science and Clinical Evidence Based Treatment Program initial development began in 1983 and a science based model was selected as the most appropriate model. The components in the program and the overall program design was totally different than anything that was being offered at that time. Thus, the name New Concept was most appropriate. It remains appropriate to this day.The "New Concept" was the use of information from scientific research into the genetic and neurobiological factors shown to be involved in the addictive process. Since the American Medical Association had stated in the 1950s that Alcoholism was a disease, this is where the initial focus in addiction research was in the 1970s. Until the New Concept Model was put into practical use in 1985, the vast majority of the relevant research went unnoticed and unused, with exception to further additional research. Although other alcohol and drug treatment programs tended to look down on the New Concept Model as far too speculative at the time, the developer, Dan Gray, was encouraged by the researchers that he had regular contact with to persevere. That was a rather tough order at a time when the "Minnesota Model" was the primary treatment model of choice for alcoholism. Dan was also convinced, by the developing research, that alcohol addiction and addiction to other mind/mood altering chemicals were virtually the same if not very close relatives to one another. Added research further convinced Dan that he was on the right track and the majority of the researchers were coming to that same conclusion. Ultimately, the treatment programs at that time began to incorporate drug addiction into the "Minnesota Model" and that gave Dan a little hope that they would continue to "fall into lock-step with current research". Unfortunately; that was not to be the case, so Dan decided to pull some "like minded" Kansas City addictions professionals together and develop, what was hoped to be a funded foundation that would support a movement, nationally, toward the use of science and clinical evidence in addictions treatment. This would be an ongoing model that would use current, in-depth scientific research and in-depth clinical studies that would support a treatment model that was in a constant updating status and provided moral and ethical checks and balances in the delivery of addictions treatment.Meetings of the original group were held at the then "National Council on Alcoholism" facility in south Kansas City. The group developed the basics of how it would function and in general an initial set of goals and objectives with plans on how to meet these goals and objectives. The first move was to contact as many researchers and addictions professionals as we could that would be supportive of our initial goals and objectives. Unfortunately the foundation funding that was hoped for did not develop. This was not to stop the project and we decided to try this as a collective group of individuals with our initial target being the two primary agencies involved in providing funding for the alcoholism and addictions research, the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIDA, and NIAAA). We were able to convince them that mental health and addictions to chemicals went together and had strong genetic underpinnings. They researched our position that the addiction research that they were paying for was not going into prevention and treatment as it should. They found that what we had been observing in "our own backyards" was correct. Little if any research was being used in addictions treatment. The first step in correcting the problem was the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) being formed. Under SAMHSA came the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP). The constant prodding by a number of fellow professionals involved initially in the Neuroscience and Addiction Research Foundation (NARF) continued until we felt certain that a national movement toward the original goals and objectives of NARF were going to be met. Dan was asked if he knew of any University in or around his hometown, Kansas City, being centrally located in the nation, that would be interested in a pilot project that would take the translational research and develop it into a variety of specialized training programs that could be provided to the, at the time, paraprofessionals working in the treatment programs that were being funded by federal monies. Dan suggested the University of Missouri at Kansas City, UMKC, where he had taught a 3-hour course in the Genetics and Neurochemistry of Addiction. This was within a program already established to train counselors, working in the state contracted treatment programs, in the "Minnesota Model" of alcohol and drug treatment. UMKC should have a very positive response to such a proposal. The contact with UMKC was made, the pilot technical training model was a success and the National Addiction Technologies Transfer Center was established to do what the original goals of NARF basically were intended to accomplish. We had hoped for much more rapid response but without the funding to move things along faster neither NARF nor SAMHSA was going to move any faster than the money available would allow.
Now there are 15 Regional ATTCs throughout the nation and our territories training counselors in the use of a science and evidence based treatment model that is in a perpetual state of updating and expansion. That was 1986 to the present and the New Concept Science and Evidence Based Addictions Treatment Program has continued to progress to the point where it is just slightly ahead of NATTC in current technologies but not enough to be of great consequence. The original group of professionals nationally, were the ones that got the NARF goals and objectives pushed forward until the natural momentum of the movement into science and evidence based treatment was sufficient that it would continue on without our presence. We have lost a number of our original NARF supporters over the years and we thank them for their extensive time, expertise, and professional efforts on a job well done. Those that remain active in the field can see a very bright future for those in need of treatment, the values of effective prevention efforts, and we hope that ultimately we will live to see the genetic cures that should begin to appear around 2020 to 2025. The entire world can benefit from this marvel of science.New Concept
continues to follow the road
that leads to
long-term
functional independence
and success in life
as the ultimate goal
for our clients.
This means that we must
continually maintain the
ongoing search for
the very latest in
scientific research
and clinical studies
that will support our client's
long-term succes in life.
As I See It.....
This column is where you will find the latest in my ongoing observations of what of significance is happening in the world that may have new and relevant meaning in the ever-changing field of science as it relates to the new opportunities for greater success in addictions treatment and prevention.It will also contain other items of importance that may have immediate and significant impact on how we need to understand and do the things relevant to success in dealing with addictions. As a professional addictions futurist, I may at times enter some of my speculation as to the future changes and happenings in the addictions field that we should be aware of now. Things that may not appear to have any relevance to the changes that will come in the future can have significant impact as we move from today into the future. Being a professional futurist is somewhat like working for the CIA. We look at the past, present and the future using a 360 degree or full circle observation mode. As new items appear that may fit into the objective, they are assessed and either included for the present or excluded as having no current relevance at the present but not discarded completely. Their minor relevance may have significant meaning in the future. Items from past history often play a major role in decision-making. Quality decisions from the past very often can be of great value to the present as well as to the present and the future.By: Dan R. Gray, 2011 Putting Addictions Science into action.
