Dissemination in the CTN: Where have we been and where are we going?

This presentation begins with an overview of the history of dissemination-focused committees in the CTN, beginning with the Dissemination Subcommittee, started in 2001, which over time has evolved into the present-day Research Utilization Committee (RUC). During the first decade of the CTN, several dissemination and implementation strategies have been employed, including the publication of numerous articles about technology transfer, platform dissemination/implementation studies, NIDA-SAMHSA Blending Team Products and Blending Conferences, and a variety of regional dissemination workshops, local trainings, and interactive websites.

Additionally, the CTN Dissemination Library was launched in 2003 to provide CTN members and the public with a single point of access to research findings and other materials approved for dissemination throughout the CTN and to the larger community of providers, researchers, and policy-makers. Use of the Blending Products, trainings and workshops, and the Library have grown steadily in the past several years. The presentation ends with suggestions for ways the RUC can continue to help “close the gap” between treatment and research.