Accelerated Hepatitis A and B Immunization in a Substance Abuse Treatment Program.

An accelerated dosing program for hepatitis A and B vaccination among veterans receiving treatment for addictive disorders was successfully implemented, although many veterans with hepatitis C did not complete the immunization series.

Integrating smoking cessation into substance use disorder treatment for military veterans: measurement and treatment engagement efforts.

Military personnel and veterans smoke at higher rates than the general population, compromising physical performance readiness and health (Committee on Smoking Cessation in Military and Veteran Populations & Institute of Medicine, 2009). While efforts are being made within both the Department of Defense and the Veterans' Administration (VA) hospitals to prevent onset, change the smoking culture, and promote smoking cessation; smoking rates are increasing among combat deployed service members, and smoking rates are particularly high among veterans with mental health and other substance use disorders (McFall, 2006). Recent research supports making smoking cessation widely available and integrated with other forms of care (Gierisch et al.

Housing assistance and case management: improving access to substance use disorder treatment for homeless veterans.

The problem of waiting list attrition in addiction treatment programs is widespread, and homeless and marginally housed individuals are particularly susceptible. This naturalistic, retrospective study describes an intervention (Transitional Supportive Housing and Case Management) that effectively promoted treatment admission for this high-risk group above and beyond that which could be explained by certain pretreatment factors. The clinical records of 211 military veterans referred to intensive outpatient addiction treatment were reviewed for factors related to treatment program admission, including 3 interventions designed to prevent waiting list attrition.