William R. Miller, Ph.D.
Professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of New Mexico, Dr. Miller has changed the way his peers think about the nature of substance abuse disorders, their treatment and means to effect change in patients.
Early in his career, he raised the possibility that not all drinking problems were severe and that individuals with less severe problems might benefit from briefer interventions. He developed a behavioral self-control training program, successfully testing it with nondependent problem drinkers. His study fostered the development of briefer interventions for problem drinkers.
He also re-conceptualized motivation as a state of mind that leaves a subject open to influence, and developed an intervention that emphasized assessment and personalized feedback -- the Drinker's Check-up -- as the primary mechanism to enhance motivation to change. His approach, called motivational interviewing, was grounded in empathy and has stimulated clients to recognize the extent and severity of their problem. This approach has been widely adopted in the field.
Dr. Miller will use his grant to convene a conference on innovations in substance abuse treatment, to develop a comprehensive summary of evidence-based substance abuse treatment methods, and to support the placement of interventionists in family practice clinics.
Source: Innovators Combating Substance Abuse
