Substance abuse counselors' treatment philosophy and the content of treatment services provided to offenders in drug court programs

Abstract

A study of treatment offered to drug court participants was designed to link the beliefs, philosophies, and knowledge of the counselors with the services offered in treatment sessions. The study is limited to four jurisdictions, two rural and two urban, but, within these four jurisdictions, the treatment services provided are representative of the services offered to the general addict community. Surveys were conducted with over half the treatment counselors providing services and structured observations were conducted with over half of the normal group therapy sessions offered in a given month. Survey findings reveal that treatment counselors support a number of different causes for substance abuse. Counselors also do not have a strong affiliation for any one model that defines their treatment approaches. Observations confirmed an eclectic approach to treatment sessions in practice. A number of technology transfer and management issues are identified from the study including the need for the development of a better understanding among treatment providers as to the recovery process, the role of treatment in the process, and critical components of therapeutic interventions.