A simple reinforcement system for methadone clients in a community-based treatment program.

Clients in a community-based methadone treatment program earned stars for attending counseling sessions as scheduled and for providing clean urines. These stars were later redeemed for contingent rewards (food or gas coupons or bus tokens) according to one of three randomly assigned reward schedules, including high reward (four stars per prize), low reward (eight stars per prize), or delayed reward (those who had to wait 3 months to earn a prize). Clients in the high-reward condition showed a pattern of increasing the number of stars earned for group sessions and clean urines across the 3-month intervention. All clients, independent of reward condition, attended significantly more group counseling sessions during the months that contingent reinforcers were available than in the months prior to, and after, the intervention. Finally, urinalysis data indicated that, in the postintervention period, high-reward clients had fewer dirty urines than did low-reward or delayed-reward clients. This study suggests that a simple system of recognizing client progress with stars and modest prizes for performing specific behaviors can be an effective tool in increasing clinic attendance rates and reducing positive urines.

Services provided during methadone treatment. A gender comparison.

Greater improvement in posttreatment outcomes has been shown in programs that tailor frequency and type of services to unique client needs. Using a sample of 635 clients (199 females and 436 males) admitted to three community-based methadone treatment programs, this study examined gender differences in services needed and provided during the first 3 months of treatment. Results revealed that compared to males, women entered treatment with more psychological symptoms and AIDS/HIV-risky behaviors; they also presented with less criminal activity, less alcohol use, and higher motivation. Counselors addressed psychological and crisis issues more frequently with women, and counseling strategies were more often directed toward developing problem-solving and communication skills. Counselors also made more medical referrals and reported having better rapport with females. Attention to employment issues and HIV/AIDS sexual-risk behaviors did not differ by gender, even though women had more needs in these areas.

Heavy drinking in a population of methadone-maintained clients.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between heavy use of alcohol and response to methadone treatment. METHOD: A sample of clients showing three or more DSM-III-R symptoms (n = 79) were identified and compared with a sample of heavy-drinking clients (n = 108) with less than three alcohol dependency symptoms on admitting characteristics and on tenure in treatment. RESULTS: As expected, clients meeting DSM-III-R dependency criteria were significantly more likely to show evidence of psychological problems and dysfunction of family and peer relations at admission. An unexpected finding was that they were also more likely to remain in treatment longer than drinking clients who did not report dependency. Alcohol dependent clients were significantly more likely to have prior experience with self-help groups, which may reflect less denial and therefore relatively better ability to focus on opiate dependency problems. CONCLUSIONS: Failure to differentiate between alcohol dependent and nondependent groups of drinkers enrolled in methadone treatment may help account for reported differences in treatment outcome studies. Recognizing these different types of drinkers also may help clinicians plan more effective treatments.

Heavy drinking, alcohol-dependent vs. nondependent methadone-maintenance clients: a follow-up study.

This study of methadone-maintenance clients interviewed approximately 1 year after discharge from treatment revealed that outcomes differed between heavy-drinking clients who are alcohol dependent and those who are not. Alcohol-dependent clients seem to benefit more from treatment but continue to have severe cocaine-use problems, suggesting they also may be cocaine dependent. The results emphasized the value in differentiating between these types of drinking clients, and they suggest that failure to do so may account for earlier contradictory results about the role alcohol consumption has in treatment outcomes for methadone-maintenance clients.

Effectiveness of a specialized intervention for women in a methadone program.

Over the past 20 years, specialized programming for chemically dependent women has been recommended for improving psychosocial functioning and retention in treatment. This study examined the impact of a structured, six-week assertiveness and sexuality workshop for women at three community-based methadone maintenance programs. Results indicated that women who participated frequently in the women's groups (four to six sessions) showed greater increases in self-esteem and knowledge compared to women who participated infrequently (one to three sessions). In addition, level of participation was positively associated with length of stay in the treatment program after completing the workshop.

Residential treatment for women with dependent children: one agency's approach.

The Salvation Army First Choice Program, located in Fort Worth, Texas, provides comprehensive-as well as gender-specific-treatment for addicted women while providing child care and therapeutic services for children. Specific program attributes (including therapeutic interventions, community linkages, and staffing patterns) are described, and the five-year evaluation initiative, designed to examine relationships between client characteristics, program participation, and client progress is outlined. Findings from initial analyses examining correlates of 90-day dropout suggest a complex interaction among specific problems a woman brings to treatment, her level of dysfunction at treatment entry, how much social support is available to her, and what services she receives.

Suicidality in a sample of methadone maintenance clients.

Previous work has shown that suicide is a significant cause of death among substance abusers, including methadone-maintained clients, and that the prediction of suicidal ideation and behavior is difficult. Preliminary review of data collected at admission on a population of 438 methadone-maintained clients found 55 expressing some level of suicidal behaviors during the course of treatment. These clients were compared with a randomly selected comparison group of 55 nonsuicide clients matched for gender and race/ethnicity on measures of psychological dysfunction, drug use, family dysfunction, and help-seeking behaviors. Results showed that at time of admission suicidal clients reported: 1) more psychological dysfunction as evidenced by higher levels of depression, social dysfunction, hostility, risk-taking, and previous thoughts of suicide; 2) less family support at the present time and during childhood; and 3) more help-seeking behavior as evidenced by self-referral, number of previous treatment episodes, attendance at self-help meetings, and higher scores on motivational measures of desire for help. Differences in preadmission drug-using behaviors were not found between the two groups.

Importance of identifying cocaine and alcohol dependent methadone clients.

Clients in outpatient methadone treatment (OMT) who abuse cocaine or alcohol are difficult to engage and retain in treatment. The impact a triple addiction to these drugs has on treatment was the focus of this study (N = 127). Admission characteristics, treatment response, and retention were compared among clients dependent on opiates only (O), opiates and alcohol (OA), opiates and cocaine (OC), or all three drugs (OAC). Findings indicate these groups differ in admission needs assessment, session attendance, issues discussed during treatment, and development of counselor rapport, with the OAC group being significantly more difficult to engage and retain in treatment.

Gender differences at admission and follow-up in a sample of methadone maintenance clients.

Although one-third of clients enrolled in methadone treatment in the United States are female, few studies have looked at gender differences at admission and follow-up. Using interview data from 435 clients (31% female) collected at admission and approximately 1 year after discharge, females were found to have more dysfunctional families of origin and greater prior and current psychological and medical problems. Both genders improved following treatment, as evidenced by reduced illicit drug, tobacco, and alcohol use, criminal involvement, and HIV/AIDS-risky behaviors. Females were more likely to seek further help for both drug misuse and psychological problems subsequent to discharge.