Online Methamphetamine Abuse Training for Drug Court Professionals

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application addresses a pressing public health need through the development of a self-directed, highly interactive, tailored online computer assisted instruction (CAI) course addressing methamphetamine abuse and it s treatment for drug court personnel. Of the US population aged 12 and over, more than 12 million people, or 5.2 %, have reported using methamphetamine in their lifetime. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH, formerly NHSDA) measured an increa se in lifetime use from just under 2% in 1994 of the general population to more than 5% by 2002 (Hunt, Kuck and Truitt, 2006). Fifty-eight percent of county law enforcement agencies surveyed in 2005 reported that methamphetamine was the number one drug pro blem in their area (Hunt, 2006). In many states methamphetamine is the fastest growing drug of choice among those entering drug court (National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP), June 2007 National Conference Brochure). For drug court profess ionals, methamphetamine represents a unique and daunting challenge requiring innovative new approaches and partnerships. For problem-solving judges and attorneys, a case is a problem to be solved, not just a matter to be adjudicated. Instead of seeing case s as isolated incidents, they look for patterns to change individuals' lives and reform communities (Berman and Feinblatt, 2005). Drug Court teams are composed of both criminal justice and treatment practitioners who work together to problem-solve and adju dicate the treatment process for participants. There is a pressing need for drug court staff and treatment professionals to become aware of the problem of methamphetamine abuse and its unique characteristics. This application proposes the development of an online CAI course to provide information on the pharmacology of methamphetamine, methods of use, epidemiology and current trends of use, and effective treatment strategies. It will be self-directed, allowing individuals to proceed at their own pace. It wi ll be highly interactive, with prompts, questions and case studies implemented with audio and video as well as interactive graphics. The course will be tailored allowing for two major branches: 1) Court staff including judges, coordinators, defense counsel s, prosecutors, and community supervision staff (probation, parole, law enforcement, etc.), and 2) drug treatment staff. Therefore, by identifying their specific job function participants will select the version that matches their individual occupational n eeds. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Of the US population aged 12 and over, more than 12 million people, or 5.2 %, have reported using methamphetamine in their lifetime. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH, formerly NHSDA) measured an increase in l ifetime use from just under 2% in 1994 of the general population to more than 5% by 2002 (Hunt, Kuck and Truitt, 2006). The proportion of treatment admissions for meth grew from under 1% (1992) to over 6% (2003) according to the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). The number of emergency room visits for meth increased from under 16,000 (1995) to 17,696 (2002) according to the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN). Fifty-eight percent of county law enforcement agencies surveyed in 2005 reported that methamphetami ne was the number one drug problem in their area (Hunt, 2006). In many states methamphetamine is the fastest growing drug of choice among those entering drug court (National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP), June 2007 National Conference Bro chure). Individuals using methamphetamine over the long term can experience heart damage, transient explosive aggression, psychosis, brain damage and increased transmission of HIV and hepatitis based on their drug use and/or sexual behaviors. The particula r qualities of the methamphetamine high - increased energy, alertness, sexual arousal, endurance, stamina and reduced appetite and need for sleep, along wit