Does Increasing the Opportunity for Counseling Increase the Effectiveness of Outpatient Drug Treatment?

Abstract

Increasing the opportunity for group and individual counseling in outpatient drug treatment programs could increase client participation in counseling which, in turn, may enhance program effectiveness. Findings from the evaluation of the Los Angeles Target Cities Enhancement Project indicate that the Target Cities programs successfully increased client participation in group and individual counseling-an increase that cannot be attributed to client characteristics. Further, the magnitude of the increase in group and individual counseling was sufficient to increase the overall effectiveness of Target Cities programs. These findings support the widely held contention among drug treatment providers and policy makers that frequent counseling is necessary for treatment success. They suggest that counselors and other service providers should encourage and facilitate frequent participation in group and individual counseling. Most importantly, the findings indicate that increasing the opportunity for group and individual counseling will increase client participation in counseling, and this increased participation will elevate the overall effectiveness of outpatient drug treatment.