In New South Wales, Australia, a cost-effectiveness evaluation was conducted of an adult drug court (ADC) program as an alternative to jail for criminal offenders addicted to illicit drugs. This article describes the program, the cost-effectiveness analysis, and the results. The results of this study reveal that, for the 23-month period of the…

Interdisciplinary groups of students learned screening tools for substance use and practiced skills of brief intervention while serving needs of a local free clinic.

The need to support the success of individuals in methadone-assisted recovery, and the recent availability of new pharmacologic treatment options for opioid dependence, calls for an information tool that underscores the evidence-based benefits of medication assisted treatment for opioid dependence. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services'…

Previous research has found that 80 percent of all adults incarcerated for felonies either had regularly used illegal drugs or abused alcohol, been convicted of a drug or alcohol violation, were under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol at the time of their crime, committed a crime to support their habit, or exhibited some combination of these…

Presents an overview of behavior modification, and discusses ethical misgivings pertaining directly to the use of behavior modification in institutional drug treatment programs. Raises questions about the danger of social control,and informed consent. Concludes with a reexamination of aversive therapy and a plea for professionalism. (JAC)

The effectiveness of offering same day appointments at an outpatient cocaine treatment program to increase intake attendance was examined. Seventy-eight clients were given standard or accelerated intake appointments. Significantly more clients who were given accelerated appointments attended the program. An accelerated intake procedure appears to…

Outdoor behavioral healthcare (OBH), using wilderness therapy and related outdoor programming, is an emerging treatment for adolescents with behavioral, psychological, and substance abuse disorders. A literature review examining OBH outcomes related to self-concept, interpersonal skills, substance abuse, criminal recidivism, and behavioral and…

Discusses trend towards involving criminal offenders in substance abuse programs and utilizing outpatient settings in treatment. Appraises the treatment performance of both court-referred and voluntary clients and the impacts criminal-justice-referred clients may have upon other persons in treatment programs to which they are admitted. Discusses…

Examined availability of various treatment services within a national sample of programs treating adolescent drug abuse patients. Created treatment service delivery profiles and examined them in context of organizational variables. Found that distinct profiles of services existed within residential and outpatient modalities and that these service…

Despite a growing realization that unmeasured programmatic differences influence prison-based drug treatment effectiveness, few attempts to systematically measure such differences have been made. To improve program planning and evaluation in this area, we developed a census instrument to collect descriptive information about 118 prison-based drug…

It is generally acknowledged that employment is essential to the successful rehabilitation of drug abusers, and several models have been effective in helping drug abuse clients find jobs. To compare two methods of providing employment services to drug abuse treatment clients, the Employment Specialist Study sampled 40 clients at each of 39 clinics…

This manual describes a Relaxation-Information Presentation program based on the clinical observation that anxiety is a serious barrier to detoxification for many methadone clients, and on experimental evidence indicating that expectations may play a greater role in the discomfort experienced during detoxification than the actual methadone dose.…

Describes a cooperative program between Rockland Community College and the Rockland County Community Mental Health Center (New York) that introduced education and retraining into the final stages of the rehabilitation process for individuals with a history of drug and substance abuse. Discusses program components, budgetary considerations, and…

Teachers and staff as well as students are not immune to substance abuse. Presented are simple guidelines on what to look for in physical effects, what to do if someone is suspected, and how to get help. (SI)

Gives an overview of methodology for adolescent component of the national Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Studies; the sample of programs reflects treatment available to adolescents in six urban areas. Describes design, content, and quality of interview protocols. Discusses data collection procedures and completion rates for each phase of…