Validation of the Christo Inventory for Substance-misuse Services (CISS): a simple outcome evaluation tool.

The Christo Inventory for Substance-misuse Services (CISS) was developed as a single page outcome evaluation tool completed by drug/alcohol service workers either from direct client interviews or from personal experience of their client supplemented by existing assessment notes. Its 0-20 unidimensional scale consists of 10 items reflecting clients' problems with social functioning, general health, sexual/injecting risk behaviour, psychological functioning, occupation, criminal involvement, drug/alcohol use, ongoing support, compliance, and working relationships. Comparison scores indicating low, average or high problem severity were produced by 243 drug users attending a harm minimisation out patient service and 102 alcohol users at an outpatient alcohol service.

The community drug team.

The creation of a network of nearly 100 community drug teams (CDTs) across the UK stands as the most significant expansion to occur within drug services during the 1980s. Key characteristics include the narrowly defined geographical focus, the community emphasis, the multi-disciplinary composition and the promotion of generic contribution through 'consultancy'--as with Community Alcohol Teams. Subsequent adaptations have extended from the base of the CDT with outreach strategies and harm-minimization techniques.