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Researchers' Profiles

Beth A. Rutkowski, M.P.H.

Beth A. Rutkowski, M.P.H.

Principal Investigator/Director of Training

Beth Rutkowski received her Master of Public Health degree, with an emphasis on epidemiology and quantitative methods, from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, School of Public Health. She has been associated with UCLA's Integrated Substance Abuse Programs (ISAP) since December 2000, and currently serves as the Director of Training and Co-Director of the SAMHSA-supported Pacific Southwest Addiction Technology Training Center. The majority of Ms. Rutkowski’s time is focused on the development of synchronous and asynchronous training and intensive technical assistance curricula and training packages focused on evidence-based substance use disorder research and targeted to the community at large. In addition, she organizes and conducts conferences and trainings throughout the Pacific Southwest region (HHS Region 9, covering AZ, CA, HI, NV, and the six U.S. Affiliated Pacific Jurisdictions) on scientifically validated interventions and topics. Ms. Rutkowski is a NIATx-certified process improvement coach, and has directed several statewide, regional, and local process improvement change project initiatives. Ms. Rutkowski has co-authored and edited numerous peer reviewed research articles, book chapters, special issues, and technical reports on treatment evaluation, research-practice partnerships, process improvement strategies for use in substance use disorder and mental health treatment programs, prescription drug misuse, the epidemiology of methamphetamine and crack cocaine use, synthetic drugs, process improvement strategies to improve client engagement and retention in treatment, SBIRT, HIV and substance use, medications for alcohol and opioid use disorders, best practices in substance use disorder treatment, and local, national, and international drug trends.

  • University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, M.P.H., Epidemiology and Quantitative Methods, 2000
  • The College of New Jersey, Trenton, NJ, B.S., Biology,1998
  • Development of Training and Technology Transfer Initiatives for the Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Workforce
  • NIATx Model of Process Improvement
  • Contingency Management Approaches for the Treatment of Stimulant Use Disorder
  • Substance Use Epidemiology
  • Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT)
  • Motivational Interviewing Approaches
  • Powell, K.G., Chaple, M.J., Henry, M., Morton, C., Becker, S.J., Gotham, H.J., Hagle, H.N., Halle, A.C., Krom, L.J., Martin, R., Molfenter, T.D., Roget, N., Rutkowski, B.A., Velez-Echevarria, I.I., Yanez, R., & Cross-Technology Transfer Center (TTC) Workgroup on Virtual Learning. (2022). Virtual training and technical assistance: A shift in behavioral health workforce access and perceptions of services during emergency restrictions. BMC Medical Education, 22, 575.
  • Rutkowski, B.A. (2019). Specific disciplines addressing substance use: AMERSA in the 21st century. Substance Abuse, 40(4), 392-395.
  • Chaple, M., Freese, T.E., Rutkowski, B.A., Krom, L., Kurtz, A.S., Peck, J.A., Warren, P., Garrett, S. (2018). Using ECHO clinics to promote capacity building in clinical supervision. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 54(6S3), S275-S280.
  • Freese, T.E., Padwa, H., Oeser, B.T., Rutkowski, B.A., & Schulte, M.T. (2017). Real-world strategies to engage and retain racial-ethnic minority men who have sex with men in HIV prevention services. AIDS Patient Care and STDs, 31(6), 275-281. PMID: 28530444
  • Rieckmann, T., Kovas, A.E. & Rutkowski, B.A. (2010). Adoption of medications in substance abuse treatment: Priorities and strategies of single state authorities. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, SARC Supplement 6, 227-238.
  • Crèvecoeur-MacPhail, D., Bellows, A., Rutkowski, B. A., Ransom, L., Myers, A. C. & Rawson, R. A. (2010). “I’ve been NIATxed”: Participants’ experience with process improvement. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, SARC Supplement 6, 249-259.
  • Rutkowski, B. A., Gallon, S., Rawson, R. A., Freese, T. A., Bruehl, A., Crevecoeur-MacPhail, D., Sugita, W., Molfenter, T. & Cotter, F. (2010). Improving client engagement and retention in treatment: The Los Angeles County experience. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 39 (1), 78-86.
  • Rutkowski, B. A. & Maxwell, J. C. (2009). Epidemiology of methamphetamine use – A global perspective. In: J. Roll, R. Rawson, S. Shoptaw, & W. Ling (Eds.) Methamphetamine Addiction: From Basic Science to Treatment. New York: Guilford Press.
  • Maxwell, J. C., & Rutkowski,B. A. (2008). The prevalence of methamphetamine and amphetamine abuse in North America: A review of the indicators, 1992-2007. Drug and Alcohol Review, 27(3), 229-235.
  • Rawson, R. A., & Rutkowski, B. A. (2007). Prime numbers: A matter of life or meth. Foreign Policy, 163, 32-33.
  • Rawson, R. A., Maxwell, J., & Rutkowski, B. (2007). OxyContin abuse: Who are the users? American Journal of Psychiatry, 164(11), 1-3.
  • Rutkowski, B., Freese, T., & Rawson, R. (2007). Editors’ Introduction: California Substance Abuse Research Consortium 2006. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, SARC Supplement 4, 309-311.
  • Crèvecoeur, D., Rutkowski, B., & Rawson, R. (2007). The rise in treatment admissions for methamphetamine use in Los Angeles County from 2001 through 2005. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, SARC Supplement 4, 383-392.
  • Maxwell, J. C., Rutkowski, B. A., & Rawson, R. A. (2007). Substance abuse epidemiology in the United States: A review of the indicator data. In: A. D. Kalechstein & W. G. van Gorp, (Eds.). Neuropsychology and Substance Use: State-of-the-Art and Future Directions. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis, pp. 1-39.
  • Rutkowski, B. (2006). California Substance Abuse Research Consortium, September 2005: Update on recent methamphetamine trends in four California regions. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, SARC Supplement 3, 369-375.
  • Finnerty, B. (2004). California Substance Abuse Research Consortium, May 2003: Update on Recent Substance Abuse Trends Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, SARC Supplement 2, 103-108.
  • Finnerty, B. (2003). Monitoring and Reporting Alcohol and Drug Use Trends in California: The California Substance Abuse Research Consortium Meetings. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, SARC Supplement 1, 119-125.
  • Crèvecoeur, D., Finnerty, B., & Rawson, R.A. (2002). Los Angeles County Evaluation System (LACES): Bringing Accountability to Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Through a Collaboration Between Providers, Payers, and Researchers, Journal of Drug Issues, 32(3), 865-880.