NCJ Number
219936
Journal
Substance Use & Misuse Volume: 42 Issue: 7 Dated: 2007 Pages: 1127-1140
Date Published
2007
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This study explored factors that contribute to chronic unemployment for drug users.
Abstract
Finding show that for many chronically unemployed drug users, their behavioral history of failed attempts in education, job skills training, and employment contributed to their problem of unemployment. The development and establishment of fundamental work related behaviors for successful employment will require intensive and sustained interventions. Regardless of the need for job skills training and employment, some drug users are unlikely to participate in training or work without special contingencies for doing so. Additionally, without special contingencies for punctual and reliable attendance, drug users are unlikely to attend training or work on a consistent basis. The study suggests that an aggressive and long-term research program in this area could make substantial progress in addressing the problems observed among various drug user populations. A therapeutic workplace intervention used by Silverman and colleagues explored the idea that the use of contingencies in an employment setting could help sustains the attendance of chronic drug users. It also provided additional evidence that drug users in need of job skills would not attend training unless they could earn an hourly rate that was above $3.50 per hour. Participants were four female adults who were employed as data entry operators in a therapeutic workplace business. Figures, glossary, references