Research

Behavioral Health Services of Pickens County (BHSPC), located on Main Street in Pickens, is quite a distance from the Medical University of South Carolina both geographically and culturally.  This distance has not prevented a productive relationship.  Beginning in 1999 BHSPC was chosen as a Community Treatment Program for the MUSC-centered Southern Consortium Node of the nationwide Clinical Trials Network.

Successful performance was demonstrated as Pickens was the only Community Treatment Program that succeeded in recruiting and retaining participants in an earlier smoking cessation study (CTN-0009). More recently, the BHSPC Research Department has been a top-performing site in the CTN on the Prescription Opiate Analgesic Treatment study (CTN-0030).  Due to their success in CTN research projects Pickens has been selected as a site for several other National Institute of Health and private industry trials. The research staff is currently working with Principal Investigator Bryan Tolliver, M.D., Ph.D. from MUSC on the “Effects of Modafinil in Methamphetamine Dependence” and Robert Malcombe, M.D. from MUSC on the “Clinical Circuitry Underlying Methamphetamine Cue Craving and Cue Extinction.”  Our next CTN study will begin August 2010, CTN-0046: “Smoking-Cessation and Stimulant Treatment (S-CAST).” 

 

Behavioral Health Services of Pickens County has become so immersed in the research endeavor that they have built a stand-alone research center. Bob Hiott, BHS Director, has made research a priority, and it is reflected in both his allocation of resources and his outstanding record in conducting CTN trials. 

  

The mission of the CTN is to improve the quality of drug abuse treatment throughout the country using science as the vehicle.  We are part of the Southern Consortium Node that is comprised of five research community treatment programs (CTPs).  Our research staff consists of the Director of Research, Elizabeth Chapman, Site Co-Principal Investigator, Bob Hiott, study physician, Dr. Amanda Flynn and Dr. David Cook, research liaison, Margaret Garrett, and administrative assistant, Angelia Lovell.   

http://www.musc.edu/ctn/scnode

Research Experience
 “Smoking Cessation in Treatment with Transdermal Nicotine Replacement Therapy in Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Programs”, CTN -0009, 2000-2005 

“The Use of Acamprosate in Alcohol Dependent Individuals with Comorbid Anxiety and Depressive Disorders”, 2006-2007 

“A Two-Phase Randomized Controlled Trial of Buprenorphine/Naloxone Treatment Plus Individual Drug Counseling for Individual Drug Counseling for Opioid Analgesic Dependence”, CTN - 0030, 2007 - 2009   

" Cue Extinction in Methamphetamine Using Individuals", 2007- 2009

Current Projects
“Effects of Modafinil in Methamphetamine Dependence”, 2009- Present

“Clinical Circuitry Underlying Methamphetamine Cue Craving and Cue Extinction", 2009 – present

“D-cycloserine Facilitation of Cocaine-Cue Extinction, 2010-present

"Smoking-Cessation and Stimulant Treatment," CTN- 0046, projected start date August 2010

**If you are interested in one of our current projects, please contact us on our direct research line at 864-898-2938.  If we are unavailable, please leave a message on our confidential answering machine.**


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Contact information

BHSPC
309 East Main Street 
Pickens, SC 29671
E-mail: info@bhspickens.com
Tel.: 864-898-5800
Fax:864-898-5804