Effectiveness of an outreach treatment program for inner city crack abusers: compliance, outcome, and client satisfaction.

In a randomized controlled trial the effectiveness of an outreach treatment program (OTP) was compared with standard addiction care services for hard-drug addicts in Rotterdam (The Netherlands). The study aimed at chronic, high-risk crack abusers who were insufficiently engaged in standard addiction treatment services. Data were collected from February 2000 to December 2001.

Fidelity of an outreach treatment program for chronic crack abusers in the Netherlands to the ACT model.

This study evaluated an effective outreach treatment program in the Netherlands for chronic, high-risk crack abusers on its adherence to the assertive community treatment model. Fidelity was tested on 25 criteria of the Dartmouth Assertive Community Treatment Scale. Adherence was high on several factors: a small caseload, staff capacity, a nurse and a substance abuse specialist on staff, explicit admission criteria, low intake rate, and intensity of service.