Methadone patients in the therapeutic community: a test of equivalency.

Background: Residential therapeutic communities (TCs) have demonstrated effectiveness, yet for the most part they adhere to a drug-free ideology that is incompatible with the use of methadone. This study used equivalency testing to explore the consequences of admitting opioid-dependent clients currently on methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) into a TC.

Methods: The study compared 24-month outcomes between 125 MMT patients and 106 opioid-dependent drug-free clients with similar psychiatric history, criminal justice pressure and expected length of stay who were all enrolled in a TC.

Outcomes in a Sample of Opiod-Dependent Clients Treated Under California's Proposition 36.

This study evaluated treatment outcomes for the reduction of criminal justice involvement and substance use among opioid dependent clients in a therapeutic community setting under California's Proposition 36. We compared treatment outcomes between those mandated to treatment under Proposition 36 (n = 24) and those on probation but not involved in Proposition 36 (n = 61) over 12 months. Over time, both groups showed significant improvement on drug use and employment measures, were more likely to be involved in job training and less likely to be engaged in work activity, and had similar retention in treatment.

Knowledge and Attitudes About Methadone Maintenance Among Staff Working in a Therapeutic Community.

Research demonstrates that drug treatment staff members' knowledge and attitudes about methadone are positively correlated with treatment success among opiate-dependent clients. However the bulk of this research is on outpatient treatment in methadone clinics. This study examined a residential treatment program that allowed clients on methadone, a rare treatment opportunity that is growing nationwide.