Adolescent Health and Recovery Treatment and Training

The overarching goal of Adolescent Health and Recovery Treatment and Training (AHARTT), which operates out of the University of Kentucky Department of Psychiatry, is to identify and provide evidence-based substance abuse treatment to adolescents in Kentucky through several objectives including (but not limited to): (1) to provide evidence-based patient care to adolescents and their families, and (2) to assist in training and implementation of evidence-based treatments statewide. The client-level outcome evaluation project is commissioned by AHARTT through a contract with the University of Kentucky Center on Drug and Alcohol Research Behavioral Health Outcome Studies (UK CDAR BHOS). Client-level data collected in this project allows for: (1) the counting of the number of adolescent clients served by clinicians trained in two evidence-based treatments: Functional Family Therapy (FFT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT); (2) describing characteristics and functioning of clients served; and (3) examination of pre-treatment to post-treatment (i.e., discharge and 12-month follow-up) change in substance use and other key targeted outcomes.

The core of this evaluation is the client-level data that is collected by trained clinicians using the Client Information System and the follow-up interviews that are conducted by UK CDAR with adolescent clients who agree to be contacted for the follow-up interview.