Predictors of Adopting Motivational Enhancement Therapy

Substance abuse counselors have shown limited success in adopting evidence-based practices (EBPs). The purpose of this paper is to identify the barriers and facilitators of adopting an EBP called motivational enhancement therapy (MET). One hundred thirty-six predominantly female (60%) African American (68%) addiction counselors representing over 40 agencies completed surveys before and after participating in a 2-day MET training. Based on stepwise regressions, 10 variables predicted gains in MET knowledge, attitudes, and/or skills: high consistency of MET with organization’s philosophy, being Caucasian, being younger, low self-efficacy, high practitioner self-perceived cultural competency, low adherence to the 12-step treatment philosophy, viewing MET as challenging to learn, high workload, fewer colleagues in same MET training, and working in a smaller organization. Implications for social work practice are discussed.