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Conceptualizing and Assessing Treatment Structure and Process in Community-Based Drug Dependency Treatment Programs

NCJ Number
186801
Journal
Substance Use and Misuse: An International Interdisciplinary Forum Volume: 35 Issue: 12-14 Dated: 2000 Pages: 1757-1795
Author(s)
Rose M. Etheridge Ph.D.; Robert L. Hubbard Ph.D.
Date Published
2000
Length
39 pages
Annotation
Having established the effectiveness of drug dependency treatment, the next generation of research will require a focus on treatment structure and process as well as the systems within which programs operate; this study constructed a grounded theory definition of treatment that consists of core elements and related comprehensive services; this led to the presentation of the multilevel conceptual framework that guided the Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Study (DATOS) treatment structure and process study design and instrumentation.
Abstract
The first section of this article defines community-based drug dependency treatment from a grounded theory perspective. Drug dependency treatment is defined as a specific set of procedures, approaches, therapies, or services designed to achieve certain client, and sometimes, family-related goals. The core treatment components are intake processing/client assessment, treatment plan, abstinence-oriented counseling, supportive group and individual counseling, substance use/urine monitoring, clinical and case management, pharmacotherapy, discharge plan, aftercare/continuity care, and self-help/mutual help meetings. Comprehensive services encompass medical services, mental health services, housing, transportation, child care, family services, financial services, legal services, AIDS/HIV risk services, education services, and vocational services. The next section of the article defines treatment structure and process, including the next step in treatment process research. Another major section of the article reviews research on treatment structure and process, with attention to the contribution of psychotherapy research, and recent research on process in drug dependency treatment. The concluding section of the article profiles the treatment process multilevel framework. 1 figure and 158 references