A popular notion refers to laughter as ''the best medicine,'' and a stream of psychological research encourages treatment providers to use humour as a therapeutic tool. However, remarkably few studies have investigated client perspectives on professionals' use of humour in everyday practice. Drawing on ethnographic data from fieldwork in two…

Aims: To explore how service users' views of measuring addiction recovery differ from those of service providers. Methods: Five focus groups conducted in two English cities with (i) people currently using Class A drugs (n = 6); (ii) people currently using alcohol (n = 12); (iii) individuals in residential detoxification (n = 12); (iv) individuals…

Given the importance of communication skills and positive relationships to addiction recovery, a series of communication skills workshops for residents of a long-term drug and alcohol residential treatment centre was designed and delivered by students in an undergraduate communication class within the university's Community Service Learning…

Directors' and treatment staff's perceptions of organizational functioning within substance abuse treatment facilities in four provinces in South Africa were examined via the Texas Christian University's Organizational Readiness for Change instrument. Forty-four treatment facilities (out of 89) participated in the study. Results indicated that…

There is increasing emphasis on the use routine outcome assessment measures to inform quality assurance initiatives. The calculation of reliable and clinically significant change indices is one strategy that organizations could use to develop both internal and externally focused benchmarking processes. The current study aimed to develop reliable…

Conducted two analyses of client admission data to identify predictors of residential alcohol treatment facility. Formal education, age, employment stability, marital stability, and pre-entrance sobriety were positively related as predictors of client's term of residence. Client's health record, family stability, legal contacts, drinking history,…

The Windana Society is a drug and alcohol agency in Victoria (Australia) that operates, among other things, a residential drug rehabilitation program in a rural setting. The program utilizes a holistic approach that addresses health and physical fitness; education; vocational and re-integration support; and psychological, emotional, spiritual, and…