This article reports the results from the first 90 days of a third clinical trial in which 480 women offenders were randomly assigned to either the Recovery Management Checkups (RMC) for women offenders or a control group upon release from one of the largest single-site jails in the United States.
The theory underlying the RMC is that long-term monitoring through regular checkups and early re-intervention will facilitate early detection of relapse, reduce the time to treatment reentry, and improve long-term outcomes. The RMC model relies on treatment linkage, engagement, and retention protocols to help participants receive the care they need over extended periods of time. This model addresses the chronic nature of addiction and incorporates components known to facilitate and sustain long-term recovery, i.e., sustained client engagement, quarterly monitoring and linkage to treatment, removing obstacles to treatment admission and recovery, facilitation of treatment retention and completion, teaching participants the skills needed to self-manage their condition, and proactively resolving ambivalence about substance use and abstinence. All of the 480 women completed the RMC intake and release interviews, and just over 90 percent completed the post-release interviews at 30, 60, and 90 days. During the 90 days after release from jail, women in the RMC were significantly more like than women in the control group to return to treatment sooner and to participate in substance abuse treatment. Women who received any treatment were significantly more likely than those who did not to be abstinent from any alcohol or other drug use. Those who were abstinent were significantly more likely to avoid HIV risk behaviors and recidivism. 4 tables, 2 figures, and 55 references