DEVELOPMENT OF A PILOT PROGRAM FOR MONITORING AND EVALUATING THE OPERATION OF TEN DOT/NIAAA JOINT ALCOHOLISM PROGRAMS - EVALUATION OF THE ASAP/AC PROGRAM PHASE 2 - FINAL REPORT

• NCJ Number: 45843
• Author(s): J R EAGLESTON; C H RITTENHOUSE; L H TOWLE; V K WIEGAND
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 269 pages
• Contract Number(s): HEW-OS-72-208
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Corporate Author: Stanford Research Institute
• Sale Source: National Technical Information Service
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE FINAL ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF 10 ALCOHOL SAFETY ACTION PROJECT (ASAP)/ALCOHOLISM CENTER (AC) PROJECTS ARE DETAILED.

Abstract

IN JUNE 1972 THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE AND THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CONTRACTED FOR EVALUATION OF 10 PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO EXTEND AND IMPROVE THE TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION SERVICES AVAILABLE TO THE PROBLEM DRINKING DRIVER. THESE PROGRAMS WERE LOCATED IN PORTLAND, MAINE; BOSTON, MASS.; WATERBURY, VT., TAMPA, FLA., COLUMBUS, GA., COLUMBIA, S.C.; INDIANAPOLIS, IND.; WICHITA, KANS.; DENVER, COLO.; AND PORTLAND, OREG. IN GENERAL, DATA ON CLIENTS SERVED SHOW THAT THE PROGRAMS ARE A HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE MECHANISM FOR INTERVENTION AND TREATMENT OF ALCOHOL ABUSERS AND PROBLEM DRINKERS. PERSONS CONVICTED OF DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED (DWI) WHO HAVE A DRINKING PROBLEM SEEM TO BE REACHED EARLIER IN THEIR DRINKING MILIEU THAN NON-DWI COUNTERPARTS; THEY RECEIVE A GREATER AMOUNT OF OUTPATIENT TREATMENT AT LOWER COST, AND THEY STAY IN TREATMENT LONGER. THIS IS CLEARLY THE RESULT OF THE COURTS USING COERCIVE PERSUASION, PLACING SUCH PERSONS ON PROBATION ONLY SO LONG AS THEY AGREE TO TREATMENT. OUTCOME AFTER 6 MONTHS OF TREATMENT IS ALSO MORE POSITIVE FOR DWI CLIENTS. THIS EVALUATION FINDS THE ASAP/AC PROJECTS VARYING WIDELY IN SIZE, CLIENT CHARACTERISTICS, COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS, AND RELATIONSHIPS TO THE JUDICIAL PROCESS. THE AC'S ARE TREATMENT CENTERS BUT IN SOME CASES THE ASAP IS INVOLVED PRIMARILY IN LAW ENFORCEMENT RATHER THAN TREATMENT. EFFECTIVENESS DEPENDS UPON THE CLOSENESS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ASAP PROJECT AND THE AC PROJECT. IN GENERAL, OVER 90 PERCENT OF CLIENTS SHOWED LOWER ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, LOWER IMPAIRMENT DUE TO ALCOHOL, AND INCREASE IN SELF-ESTEEM. UNIT COST PER CLIENT WAS $220-$275. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE COURTS BE MADE AWARE OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE PILOT PROJECTS, THAT GREATER EFFORTS BE MADE TO INTERCEPT THE ALCOHOLIC DRIVER EARLY, AND THAT GREATER COOPERATION BE FOSTERED BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND THE ASAP/AC CENTERS. A NUMBER OF MANAGEMENT SUGGESTIONS ARE ALSO MADE. THE FINAL SECTION OF THE REPORT IS DEVOTED TO STATISTICS FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL PROJECT. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--GLR)