NCJ Number
198890
Date Published
September 2002
Length
123 pages
Annotation
This manual presents helpful information to drug treatment practitioners who treat substance abusers for cocaine addiction.
Abstract
This manual is the fourth in a series designed to educate and assist drug treatment practitioners. The series presents the latest scientifically supported therapies for the treatment of various addictions. This manual focuses on cocaine addiction and treatment. The introduction discusses the etiology of cocaine addiction and explains trial studies of different treatments that were conducted to discover the best treatment option for cocaine abusers. As a result of these trial treatment studies, researchers developed the Group Drug Counseling (GDC) model as the most effective treatment for addicts. The philosophy behind the GDC model is that cocaine and other addictions are biopsychological diseases that are both chronic and debilitating. Effective treatments must address the biological, psychological, sociocultural, and spiritual factors that feed addiction. As such, the researchers recommend combining GDC with Individual Drug Counseling (IDC) in order to gain the best results from drug treatment. Chapter one explains these treatments while chapter two discusses the stabilization procedure, which is the first step in the drug treatment program. Stabilization involves detoxification and assessment of psychosocial stability. Chapter three presents an overview of how the GDC treatment model effectively addresses cocaine addiction. Chapter four explains the importance of quality supervision of the group counselors involved in the treatment program while chapter five offers a summary of Phase I of treatment: the psychoeducational group counseling sessions. The purpose of Phase I, as well as weekly group topic, format of the group session, sample handouts, and strategies for presenting the curriculum are presented in this chapter. Phase II of the treatment model is presented in chapter six, which incorporates problem-solving techniques into the counseling session. Chapter seven discusses the role of long-term case management for the recovering addict while chapter eight presents the importance of family involvement in the recovery process. Appendices offer further readings and research on effective treatment models for addiction.