Drugs, Women and Violence in the Americas: U.S. Results of a Multi-Centric Pilot Project (Phase 1).

OBJECTIVES: To explore the collective and individual experiences that Latin American females in the U. S. have with substance abuse, violence and risky sexual behaviors.

Drugs, Women and Violence in the Americas: U.S. Quantitative Results of a Multi-Centric Pilot Project (Phase 2).

OBJECTIVES: To explore the collective and individual experiences that Latin American females in the U.S. have with substance abuse, violence and risky sexual behaviors.

Therapeutic emails.

Background: In this paper, we show how counselors and psychologists can use emails for online management of substance abusers, including the anatomy and content of emails that clinicians should send substance abusers. Some investigators have attempted to determine if providing mental health services online is an efficacious delivery of treatment. The question of efficacy is an empirical issue that cannot be settled unless we are explicitly clear about the content and nature of online treatment.

Experience with family drug courts in three cities.

The purpose of the study was to describe the following components of specialized Family Drug Courts: (1) children under court supervision; (2) parent(s) named in the petition; (3) services provided and court actions taken; and (4) relapse rates. Data were collected from the court records of 65 families in three courts in Florida, Kansas, and New York. Courts differed in type of clients, sanctions used, and length of time required between drug testing.

Snapshot of the substance abuse treatment workforce in 2002: a synthesis of current literature.

Substance abuse among adolescents and adults continues to be a major public health concern. Given the prevalence of substance use, abuse, and dependence in the United States, the treatment needs of the population who abuse substances are great. Adolescents and adults who abuse substances need competent, knowledgeable, and qualified staff to provide services to meet their treatment needs.

Facilitating Self-Management of Substance Use Disorders with Online Counseling: The Intervention and Study Design.

This paper describes a pilot study using online counseling for court-involved parents who have been charged with child abuse and neglect related to substance use. All families resided in the medically underserved area of Newark, New Jersey and were recruited from halfway houses and the Family Court. The sample consisted of 30 participants randomly assigned to control (n=15) and experimental (n=15) groups.

Computerized screening of substance abuse problems in a primary care setting: older vs. younger adults.

The purpose of the current study was to examine differences in responses of older adults (age 55 and above) and younger adults (ages 18 to 54) to the Drug Abuse Problem Assessment for Primary Care (DAPA-PC), a computerized drug and alcohol abuse screening instrument developed for primary care settings. Data were collected from a diverse population of 327 adults presenting for care at The George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates clinic in downtown Washington, DC. Results indicated that rates of drug and alcohol abuse were similar in both groups.

Statistical definition of relapse: case of family drug court.

At any point in time, a patient's return to drug use can be seen either as a temporary event or as a return to persistent use. There is no formal standard for distinguishing persistent drug use from an occasional relapse. This lack of standardization persists although the consequences of either interpretation can be life altering.

The Orientation of Social Support measure.

In this study we proposed and tested the theory that behavior is affected by the orientation of the members of one's social network. We collected data from 98 women (some drug users) with the Orientation of Social Support (OSS) scale and two other widely used measures: the Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Drug use was measured with the Addiction Severity Index (ASI).

Responses to a drug and alcohol problem assessment for primary care by ethnicity.

Differences in responses by ethnic group to The Drug Abuse Problem Assessment for Primary Care (DAPA-PC) were examined. The DAPA-PC is a self-administered (via computer), internet-based screening instrument with automatic scoring, patient profile for medical reference, and unique motivational messages. Results indicate differences between blacks and whites on responses to several items in these instruments.

Antisocial personality disorder and TC treatment outcomes.

There is a belief that persons diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder (APD) do not respond well to treatment, but the existing research has not supported this hypothesis. This study examined the relationship of APD to therapeutic community (TC) treatment outcomes. A total of 275 men and women were randomly assigned to two TCs.

Correlates of treatment follow-up difficulty.

This study examines the correlates of treatment follow-up difficulty utilizing data from the District of Columbia Treatment Initiative (DCI). Findings indicate that (1) treatment completion is positively associated with a successful follow-up; (2) age and number of prior arrests are related to follow-up difficulty; (3) persons easiest to reach were more likely to be employed at follow-up; (4) persons difficult to locate were more likely to be using cocaine and to be arrested post-discharge; and (5) cocaine use at follow-up might be underestimated and employment at follow-up might be overestimated in findings derived from less than 80% of the target sample.