TY - JOUR
T1 - Mobilizing community support in people receiving opioid-agonist treatment
T2 - A group approach
AU - Kidorf, Michael
AU - Brooner, Robert K.
AU - Peirce, Jessica
AU - Gandotra, Jim
AU - Leoutsakos, Jeannie Marie
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by research grants R34 DA042320 (M. Kidorf, PI) and R34 DA040507 (M. Kidorf, PI) from the National Institute on Drug Abuse . We gratefully acknowledge Michael Sklar, M.A. for his thorough work conducting the chart reviews. We also thank the rest of our research staff whose diligence ensured both the quality and integrity of the study, especially Kori Kindbom, M.A., Jim Blucher, M.A., Rachel Burns, B.A., Mark Levinson, M.A., and Jennifer Mucha, M.A. Finally, we acknowledge staff from the Addiction Treatment Services for their great work with our patients.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018
PY - 2018/10
Y1 - 2018/10
N2 - This descriptive study evaluates a novel group intervention designed to help opioid-dependent patients in medication-assisted treatment identify and recruit drug-free individuals to support recovery efforts. The Social Network Activation Group works with patients who are actively using drugs and resistant to including drug-free family or friends in treatment. The group encourages patients to attend structured recovery, religious, or recreational activities in the community to find recovery support. For those with underutilized support, motivational interviewing and skills training are used to help patients resolve ambivalence and include family or friends in the treatment plan. Patients earn up to one methadone take-home each week that they attend the group and verify activity participation. They complete the group after introducing a drug-free family member or friend to their counselor. This study reports on a sample of 66 patients referred to this group as part of intensive outpatient treatment. Patients attended 71% of scheduled sessions and participated in a M = 4.3 activities. Mutual-help support groups (64%) and church (28%) were the activities most often attended. Thirty-six percent brought in a drug-free family or friend to meet their counselor. Family members were the most common choice (67%). The results demonstrate preliminary feasibility and mixed efficacy of the Social Network Activation Group for this highly select sample of patients, and provide additional evidence that many patients possess drug-free family or friends who are willing to support recovery efforts.
AB - This descriptive study evaluates a novel group intervention designed to help opioid-dependent patients in medication-assisted treatment identify and recruit drug-free individuals to support recovery efforts. The Social Network Activation Group works with patients who are actively using drugs and resistant to including drug-free family or friends in treatment. The group encourages patients to attend structured recovery, religious, or recreational activities in the community to find recovery support. For those with underutilized support, motivational interviewing and skills training are used to help patients resolve ambivalence and include family or friends in the treatment plan. Patients earn up to one methadone take-home each week that they attend the group and verify activity participation. They complete the group after introducing a drug-free family member or friend to their counselor. This study reports on a sample of 66 patients referred to this group as part of intensive outpatient treatment. Patients attended 71% of scheduled sessions and participated in a M = 4.3 activities. Mutual-help support groups (64%) and church (28%) were the activities most often attended. Thirty-six percent brought in a drug-free family or friend to meet their counselor. Family members were the most common choice (67%). The results demonstrate preliminary feasibility and mixed efficacy of the Social Network Activation Group for this highly select sample of patients, and provide additional evidence that many patients possess drug-free family or friends who are willing to support recovery efforts.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85049828749&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85049828749&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jsat.2018.07.004
DO - 10.1016/j.jsat.2018.07.004
M3 - Article
C2 - 30126535
AN - SCOPUS:85049828749
VL - 93
SP - 1
EP - 6
JO - Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
JF - Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
SN - 0740-5472
ER -