Office of the Clinical Director

Description

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The OCD’s main purposes are to ensure patient safety and confidentiality, monitor regulatory compliance, assist in policy and resource management, foster training and education, and facilitate the work of intramural clinical investigators. The specific functions of the OCD include:

1) Providing oversight of patient care and patient-related activities within the Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research (DICBR), including quality assurance, quality improvement, and human subject protections, thereby ensuring safety and confidentiality

2) Guaranteeing that physicians and other staff not limited to nurse practitioners, physician assistants, clinical social workers, nurses, and clinical psychologists have the required licensing, certification, and credentialing through NIH Clinical Research Center (CRC) and are otherwise appropriately qualified for their clinical contacts with patients

3) Assisting the Scientific Director in allocating NIAAA and NIH CRC resources including Clinical Center Unit space, Clinical Center Office space, and Clinical Center Clinic space assigned to NIAAA and other CRC-administered resources including neuroimaging, clinical pathology, and pharmacy

4) Supporting Fellowship programs and training and career development of OCD staff

In addition to the above functions, the OCD conducts clinical research, including development and implementation of clinical research protocols and research initiatives; monitors NIAAA protocol review through NIH Institutional Review Boards (IRBs); delivers clinical and administrative infrastructure for NIAAA clinical research protocols as well as basic science studies involving clinical specimens; and assists the Scientific Director in strategic planning that focuses on new clinical research opportunities including studies informed by neurobiology, novel approaches to treatments, comorbidity with other diseases, and design of clinical trials. Furthermore, the OCD creates opportunities for young physician scientists in alcohol research by developing programs for training in addictions medicine.

Clinical Infrastructure

Our clinical facilities are located in the Hatfield Clinical Research Center (CRC) on the main NIH campus in Bethesda, MD. These include an outpatient clinic, for purposes of participant screening and evaluation, and outpatient treatment groups, and a 14-bed inpatient unit for treatment and research.

Clinical Research Center, Aerial View

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Clinical Research Center, North Entrance

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Clinical Research Center, Atrium

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1SE Outpatient Clinic

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1SE Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit

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Clinical Training Programs

We offer a rotation in alcohol use disorder treatment through the Clinical Electives Program. Please see the following link for further details:

NIAAA Clinical Electives Training Program 

We also offer an externship program for doctoral students in clinical psychology. More information about the NIAAA Alcohol Use Disorder in Adults Track, which is part of the NIH Clinical Psychology Practicum Program, can be found in the PDF below:

Actively Recruiting Protocols (via clinicaltrials.gov)

NIAAA Clinical Protocols Located at NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda

Regulatory Information

• NIH Office of Human Subjects Research Protections/Human Research Protections Program (OHSRP/HRPP):  https://irbo.nih.gov/confluence/                                                                                                                                                               
• NIH Office of Human Subjects Research Protections/Human Research Protections Program (OHSRP/HRPP) Policies:  https://irbo.nih.gov/confluence/HRPP Policies