James L. Sorensen, Ph.D.
Professor in Residence of Psychiatry
University of California, San Francisco
Co-Principal Investigator, San Francisco Treatment Research Center
Phone: (415) 206-3969
Fax: (415) 206-5233
E-mail: James.Sorensen@ucsf.edu
I am located at San Francisco General Hospital. My work in the substance abuse treatment research area began 30+ years ago, directing a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)-funded double-blind investigation of detoxification from heroin. With NIDA research support, I have developed and evaluated a community network approach to drug abuse treatment, assessed family therapy's efficacy with methadone maintenance patients, tested the efficacy of small-group HIV education with drug users in three treatment modalities, and evaluated the impact of case management for substance abusers with HIV/AIDS. I direct the Western States Node of the NIDA Clinical Trials Network program. Our node is participating in clinical trials of buprenorphine hepatotoxicity, smoking cessation in stimulant treatment programs, HIV rapid testing and counseling and other studies.
My publications number over 200. In recent years I have focused increasingly on linking research and practice in the addictions. I am senior editor in a book on this topic, published by APA Press in 2003, and I lead an effort to conduct clinical trials of addiction treatments in a network of treatment programs in our region.
I am an experienced mentor of professionals in training. For three years, I was on the faculty of the APA-approved Clinical Psychology training program at Bowling Green State University. At UCSF, I am a Core faculty member for the locally funded Clinical Psychology Pre- and Postdoctoral training program; I am routinely the primary supervisor of at least one Fellow in the program each year. I am also a Co-Director of the NIDA-funded postdoctoral training program in treatment research and enjoy training these research-oriented postdoctoral fellows.
Selected Publications
Sorensen, J.L., Hettema, J.E., Larios, S. (2009). What is evidence-based treatment? In P. Miller (Eds.) Evidenced-based Treatment. San Diego: Elsevier.
Sorensen, J.L., Andrews, S., Delucchi, K.L., Greenberg, B., Guydish, J. Masson, C.L. Shopshire, M. (2009) Methadone patients in the therapeurtice community: A test of equivalency. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 100(1), 100-109.
Haas, A.L., Sorensen, J.L., Hall, S.M., Lin, C., Delucchi, K., Sporere, K., & Chen, T. (2008). Cigarette smoking in opioid-using patients presenting for hospital-based medical services. American Journal on Addictions, 17(1), 65-69.
Sorense, J.L., Haug, N.A., Delucchi, K.L., Gruber, V., Dletter, E., Batki, S.L., Tulsky, J.P., Barnett, P.G. & Hall, S. (2007) Voucher reinforcement improves medication adherence in HIV-positive methadone patients: A randomized treial. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 88, 54-63.
Haug, N.A., & Sorensen, J.L. (2006). Contingency management interventions for HIV related behaviors. Current HIV/AIDS Reports, 30, 154-159.
