{"id":22558,"date":"2026-07-02T09:42:06","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T13:42:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greenspacehealth.com\/en-ca\/?p=22558"},"modified":"2026-07-02T09:42:06","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T13:42:06","slug":"qa-from-advancing-substance-use-disorder-treatment-through-measurement-based-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greenspacehealth.com\/en-ca\/qa-from-advancing-substance-use-disorder-treatment-through-measurement-based-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Q&A from ‘Advancing Substance Use Disorder Treatment Through Measurement-Based Care’"},"content":{"rendered":"

In our recent educational webinar, Advancing Substance Use Disorder Treatment Through Measurement-Based Care<\/em><\/a>, we were joined by three leading experts in mental health and implementation science: Dr. Kelli Scott<\/strong>, Assistant Professor at the Center for Dissemination and Implementation Science at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Principal Investigator at the Healing Measurement Center; Dr. Sandra Resnick<\/strong>, Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University and co-founder of the Yale Measurement-Based Care Collaborative (Yale MBCC); and Dr. Jessica Barber<\/strong>, Clinical Health Psychologist and co-founder of the Yale MBCC.<\/p>\n

Together, they explored how MBC can be thoughtfully applied in SUD treatment settings, what makes implementation distinct in this context, and how organizations can take measurement beyond reporting to becoming a genuine clinical tool.<\/p>\n

The session generated an enormous volume of questions from attendees across North America. We didn’t have time to address all of them live, so we’ve pulled together responses below, organized by theme. We hope this serves as a practical resource for anyone implementing or expanding MBC within substance use disorder services.<\/p>\n

Need a refresher? You can access the full recording here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Why MBC in SUD? The Core Case<\/h2>\n

What makes MBC uniquely valuable in SUD treatment, compared to general mental health settings?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Recovery from substance use disorders is often non-linear, and progress doesn’t always look like abstinence or reduced use alone. MBC gives clinicians and clients a way to track multiple dimensions of that journey, including quality of life, functioning, social connection, and values-based indicators of recovery, rather than focusing narrowly on substance use metrics.<\/p>\n

As Dr. Barber noted during the webinar, measures of quality of life and recovery can surface deeply personal information: what matters most to a client, where they find happiness, what they’re working toward. This aligns naturally with motivational interviewing and strengths-based approaches that are central to effective SUD care. It also allows clinicians to balance difficult, sometimes stigmatizing conversations about substance use with more empowering and holistic check-ins.<\/p>\n

Dr. Scott added that MBC is particularly useful for assessing risk, including potential for return to use and overdose, in a setting where the overdose crisis continues to affect communities across North America. MBC creates a structure to monitor both progress toward recovery and<\/em> emerging warning signs, supporting a harm reduction orientation alongside clinical decision-making.<\/p>\n

How does MBC support clinicians who are managing large caseloads with limited time?<\/strong><\/p>\n

This came up repeatedly in the session, and it’s one of the most practical arguments for MBC in SUD settings. Dr. Scott described working in opioid treatment programs where counsellors may carry caseloads of 70 or more clients and meet with individuals for as little as 30 minutes per month. In that context, MBC helps clinicians quickly orient to how a client is doing, identify the most pressing topic for today’s session, and flag clients who may need more intensive support, all without relying on memory alone across a large and complex caseload.<\/p>\n

Far from adding burden, a well-implemented MBC process becomes a clinical efficiency tool. As Dr. Scott put it, MBC can actually save time in the end because it helps clinicians check in quickly and direct their attention to what matters most.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Selecting the Right Measures<\/h2>\n

Given the wide range of validated SUD screeners available, what instruments would you recommend for tracking treatment response and recovery over time?<\/strong><\/p>\n

This was the most upvoted question in the session, and the panelists were deliberate in their response: there is no single gold-standard measure for MBC in SUD care, and focusing too much on finding the “perfect” measure can be a barrier to getting started.<\/p>\n

Dr. Resnick put it plainly: the magic is not in the measure, it’s in the conversation. That said, she acknowledged that the closer a measure is to what you’re treating and what your clients care about, the richer the discussion it will generate. Any measure that is broadly in the right domain will provide value when you commit to the full Collect, Share, Act<\/a> process; collecting the data, sharing it back with clients, and actually doing something with it.<\/p>\n

Dr. Barber recommended evaluating measures by imagining the conversations they could open up. Look at the individual items on a measure, not just the total score. Ask yourself: could these questions lead somewhere productive? Do they cover things I know matter to my clients but that don’t always come up naturally in session? Are there domains (like happiness, quality of life, or social functioning) that would add a strengths-based dimension to otherwise symptom-focused conversations?<\/p>\n

For quality of life and recovery<\/strong>, the panelists referenced measures that assess domains such as doing things that are important to the person, positive experiences, and overall wellbeing. The Quality of Life in Recovery (ReQoL) measure is one example Dr. Barber uses regularly in her own clinical practice.<\/p>\n

For symptom monitoring<\/strong>, tools like the PHQ-9<\/a> (depression) and GAD-7<\/a> (anxiety) are widely used and well-validated across mental health and SUD settings. The Brief Addiction Monitor (BAM) and AUDIT-C are among the tools designed specifically for SUD contexts and are commonly used to monitor substance use and related functioning.<\/p>\n

For recovery capital,<\/strong> a dimension several attendees specifically asked about, measures like the Assessment of Recovery Capital (ARC) and the Brief Assessment of Recovery Capital (BARC-10) are designed to assess internal and external strengths that support recovery. These are well-suited to a holistic, strengths-oriented approach to SUD care.<\/p>\n

What patient self-report measures would you recommend for SUD, specifically those that are validated and don’t require clinician administration?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Several participants noted they find it difficult to identify self-report SUD measures that are both psychometrically sound and practical for routine clinical use. A few options worth considering:<\/p>\n