Linking Researchers and Practitioners in the Substance Abuse Field: Perspectives of Two “Bridgers”

• DOI: 10.1177/002204260203200310
• Author: Richard A. Rawson,Suzanne Spear
• Date: 01 July 2002
• Published date: 01 July 2002
• Subject Matter: Article

© 2002 BY THE JOURNAL OF DRUG ISSUES

JOURNAL OF DRUG ISSUES 0022-0426/02/03 881-892

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Suzanne Spear, M.A., is a project director at UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs. Her research

interests include community development, addiction treatment, and technology transfer. Richard A.

Rawson, Ph.D. is the associate director of the UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs. He is

Principal Investigator on several major research-practice projects: CSAT-funded Los Angeles Practice

Improvement Collaborative and Pacific Southwest Addiction Technology Transfer Center, and the NIDA-

funded Methamphetamine Clinical Trial Group.

LINKING RESEARCHERS AND PRACTITIONERS IN THE

SUBSTANCE ABUSE FIELD: PERSPECTIVES OF TWO

“BRIDGERS”

SUZANNE SPEAR, RICHARD A. RAWSON

This article presents a conceptual framework for substance abuse research and

practice collaboration based on John-Steiner’s (2000) seminal work on

characterizing creative collaborative processes in fields such as science, art, music,

and literature. Using John-Steiner’s core concept of “co-construction of knowledge,”

the authors provide examples of informal and formal collaborative methods for

“bridging the gap” between substance abuse research and practice. An ongoing

collaborative effort in Los Angeles County, California, called “L.A. County

Partnerships Network,” is described and important strategies for developing

collaborative relationships between substance abuse researchers and practitioners

are highlighted. Informal patterns of collaboration, such as those used by the L.A.

Partnerships Network, can lead to significant developments among substance abuse

researchers and practitioners.

INTRODUCTION

The benefits of collaboration between substance abuse researchers and providers

of substance abuse treatment services have been well documented (Broner, Franczak,

Dye, & McAllister, 2001; Institute of Medicine, 1998; Jensen, Hoagwood, &

Trickett, 1999; Reback, Cohen, Freese, & Shoptaw, in press). For service providers,