THE VCU HUBERT H. HUMPHREY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM IN SUBSTANCE ABUSE EDUCATION, TREATMENT AND PREVENTION

UNODC Scientific Consultation – December 2015

THE VCU HUBERT H. HUMPHREY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM IN SUBSTANCE ABUSE EDUCATION, TREATMENT AND PREVENTION

J. Randy Koch Associate professor Department of Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University

The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, a Fulbright exchange activity sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and administered by the Institute of International Education, brings accomplished young and mid-career professionals from selected developing and emerging countries to the United States for 10 months of non-degree study and professional development. Nominated by U.S. Embassies or Fulbright Commissions, Fellows are selected through a competitive process based on their potential for leadership, commitment to public service, and professional expertise.

Virginia Commonwealth University was selected as a site for the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program in 2006. The focus of VCU’s program is on substance abuse education, treatment, and prevention, and related areas of public health. In addition to the funding provided by the U.S. Department of State, support is provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and Virginia Commonwealth University. The primary purpose of the program is to enhance fellows’ skills so that they can assume a greater leadership role in substance abuse policy, practice and/or research upon their return home. The program emphasizes addressing the complex problems of addiction through the implementation of culturally appropriate, science-based prevention, treatment, and policy interventions.

While in the program, the fellows participate in a variety of educational and training experiences including academic coursework, a specially designed Humphrey Seminar, field trips to local and national organizations, conferences and workshops, and professional affiliations with a community- or university-based organization. Thus, the program combines formal academic training with opportunities for experiential learning in real world settings, and it fosters the development of extensive professional networks to facilitate future collaborations. Fellows return home with a concrete plan to implement a project that is intended to address the complex problems of addiction or related health problems in their country.

About the author

Dr. J. Randy Koch is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Koch earned his doctorate in community psychology from Michigan State University in 1985. Prior to joining VCU in 2003, he was the Director of Research and Evaluation for the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, a position he held since 1989. In this position, he was responsible for evaluating publicly-funded behavioral healthcare services in Virginia as well as conducting a wide range of policy studies. Since joining VCU, his research interests have focused primarily on the prevention of youth tobacco use and methods for improving the quality of substance abuse services, especially program performance and outcome measurement. Among his current responsibilities, he is a co-investigator for the Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, an FDA-funded tobacco center of regulatory science; he is a Co-PI for the Virginia Youth Tobacco Projects, a statewide, multi-university research program on the causes and prevention of youth tobacco use; and he is the director of the VCU Humphrey Fellowship Program on Substance Abuse Prevention, Treatment and Policy that brings mid-career professionals from low and middle-income countries to VCU for advanced leadership and technical training.