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Contacts: William Miller, (505) 768-0261 |
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October 31, 2002 NA’NIZHOOZHI CENTER IN GALLUP TO TEAM UP WITH UNM The University of New Mexico has been named as one of 17 nationwide
sites linked in a Clinical Trials Network to improve community-based treatment
of drug abuse and dependence. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
recently announced the new five-year award to UNM, who will work with
the Na’nizhoozhi Center, Inc. in Gallup on treatment research. With start-up funding of $1.7 million, and an estimated $10 million over
a five-year period, this is one of the largest addiction research grants
in the state’s history, said Dr. William Miller, director of the
program and distinguished professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at UNM. The grant funds a partnership between the Clinical Research Branch of
UNM’s Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Addictions (CASAA)
and seven community treatment programs in Albuquerque, Española,
Las Vegas, Gallup and Santa Fe. Together, they form the “Southwest
Node” of the network. The other two newly-funded nodes are
based at Harvard University and the University of California, San Francisco. “This is exactly the kind of new initiative envisioned in UNM’s
Strategic Plan,” said UNM Provost Brian L. Foster. “It is interdisciplinary,
and involves our partnering with community programs around the state to
improve the health of New Mexicans. It also builds on a longstanding area
of strength at UNM, and brings in major new funding to accomplish its
aims.” “This is an exciting opportunity for New Mexico,” Miller said.
“We will be testing state-of-the- Other partners, in addition to the Na’nizhoozhi Center in Gallup,
in this new collaboration include Ayudantes (Española, Las Vegas
and Santa Fe), Counseling and Psychotherapy Institute (Albuquerque), The
Life Link (Santa Fe), and Turquoise Lodge (Albuquerque). Also participating
are two public treatment programs operated by the UNM Health Sciences
Center: Addiction and Substance Abuse Programs and Milagro, which serves
pregnant drug users. “A unique aspect of this program is that it is a two-way collaboration,”
said Carol Luna-Anderson, executive director of The Life Link. “It
not only brings the best science into our communities, but the treatment
programs themselves have direct input into what research is needed and
done at a national level.” The governing board of the Network is comprised of research scientists
and treatment program directors, in equal proportion. Luna-Anderson
has been chosen by the New Mexico treatment programs to represent them
on the Network’s national steering committee, along with Dr. Miller. Co-director of the Southwest Node is Dr. Michael Bogenschutz, associate
professor and vice chair for Addiction Services in the Department of Psychiatry
at UNM’s School of Medicine. Bogenschutz and the department bring
special expertise in research and practice of pharmacotherapies - the
use of medications in detoxification and treatment of substance use disorders.
“Two things make this program unique,” said Bogunschutz. “The
opportunity to do high quality research in real world clinical settings,
and to disseminate state-of-the-art treatments to well-trained clinicians.” The Clinical Trials Network, now in its third year of operation, is already using treatment methods previously developed and tested at CASAA. One of these is motivational interviewing, a counseling method introduced by Dr. Miller in 1983 to strengthen people’s commitment to change. Another is the community reinforcement approach, brought to CASAA in 1985 by Dr. Robert Meyers, who is the clinical coordinator for the node. # # # |
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The University
of New Mexico
Public Affairs Department
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Telephone: (505) 277-5813
Fax: (505) 277-1981