4. Capacity building for practitioners on evidence-based drug treatment interventions aligned with EU quality standards and tailored to national needs: reflections from Georgia
Abstract
The EMCDDA training addresses identified knowledge gaps regarding drug treatment (e.g. responses to specific substances), supports introducing a culture of quality assurance that has been a critical shortcoming of the post-Soviet system, contributes to the shift from outdated evidence-lacking interventions (e.g. ’coding’) towards science-based ones and to the paradigm shift from the purely biological nature of the problem, towards the bio-psych-social approach. It helps to build an infrastructure for continuous capacity building for professionals engaged in drug treatment, as pre- and in-service educational opportunities have been a critical challenge. Partnership with local stakeholders ensures the sustainability of the developed resources.