There is a growing body of evidence that shows that practitioner behaviours make a contribution to addiction treatment attendance, adherence and outcomes both positively and negatively. There is further evidence that when practitioners are trained, monitored and supervised to deliver interventions in line with evidence based best practice, improvements in practitioner rated behaviours and client outcomes occur.
The paper explores the international evidence of practitioner training, supervision and treatment delivery associated with improved and poorer attendance, adherence and outcomes and contrasts the North American literature with what is known of UK practice, training and supervision. The debate about how improvements might be made in the UK addresses the challenges of service commissioner practices, staff motivation and research design.
