Outcome Research Project
A New Direction (AND) is a comprehensive, cognitive-behavioral treatment curriculum for chemically dependent offenders. The curriculum is divided into modules that address the following areas: (a) Intake and Orientation; (b) Criminal and Addictive Thinking; (c) Drug and Alcohol Education; (d) Socialization; (e) Relapse Prevention; and (f) Release and Reintegration Preparation. Each module includes a facilitator's guide, a participant workbook, and one or more videos. Videos are now available in DVD format. With the exception of the Intake and Orientation module, each module has a long-term and short-term version.
The curriculum is evidence based and integrates:
- criminal thinking
- addictive thinking
- concepts of the social-cognitive theory
- interpersonal communication skills training
- cognitive problem solving and restructuring
- reflective communication
Due to the dramatic increase in evidence-based funding requirements-both at the state and federal level-Hazelden Publishing has hired Randy Stinchfield, Ph.D., a researcher from the University of Minnesota, to collect data from various segments of the corrections community who are implementing AND in order to publish outcomes. By identifying outcome instruments, developing a study design, and providing technical consultation, Dr. Stinchfield has mobilized the professionals that work with chemically dependent offenders.
Project Aims
- To gather existing data from programs utilizing AND
- To establish a standardized treatment outcome study model for the various segments of the
corrections community who are utilizing AND
- To have Hazelden's Butler Center for Research maintain a national database of AND outcome
data for the purpose of comparative studies
Project Collaborators
Idaho Department of Correction
AND short-term curriculum is being used at the North Idaho Correctional Institution (NICI) for incarcerated male offenders. NICI provides a treatment environment for offenders sentenced to retained jurisdiction also referred to as "riders." The offenders spend sixteen hours per week in facilitated groups as well as an additional sixteen hours working on classroom assignments and homework. The 2005 State of Idaho Annual Report indicated that the program completion rates were based on the number of offenders that completed the program compared to the number of offenders that participated. Since the beginning of the program, 93% of all AND participants have successfully completed the program. NICI's data also includes the number of offenders released to community supervision after successful completion of AND and associated probation revocations. This full report is attached.
North Carolina Department of Correction
The Division of Alcoholism and Chemical Dependency Programs (DACDP) provides comprehensive interventions, programs, and services to chemically dependent offenders. Through its Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) program for State Alliance for Recovery and General Education (SARGE), and the DACDP s early recovery program, Drug Alcohol Recovery Treatment (DART), AND is being implemented in nine of their 18 facilities, with a goal of full state implementation. DACDP has begun efforts to identify successful profiles of male offenders who are less likely to be recidivists. DACDP is in the process of identifying and developing instruments that measure criminogenic factors such as criminal thinking through the continuum of care.
Van Buren County and Cass County District Health Department
The Van Buren County and Cass County Health Department, in partnership with the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office, has implemented AND in its rural substance abuse program. This program starts in the jail and continues in the community. The average length of treatment for participants is 16 months, and at any one time, there are 65-70 people in the program. The program institutes intense drug testing, and a majority of participants are methamphetamine users. Their outcomes report 70% retention of AND male participants as well as a $50,000 cost savings to the jail in one year.
PA Department of Public Welfare's Bureau of State Children and Youth Programs (BSCYP)
This juvenile system consists of secure and open residential treatment programs for some of Pennsylvania's most challenging youthful offenders. The BSCYP has 11 facilities and 765 beds. The average age of offenders is seventeen. The BSCYP is implementing AND in both the open and secure substance abuse treatment programs. Additionally, portions of the program are being used with its general and specialized populations. Hazelden Publishing is currently collecting assessment instruments, treatment characteristics, statistics regarding the number of AND sessions per week, and other treatment data from the BSCYP for the purpose of publishing outcomes.
Hazelden Publishing is fully committed to support these and other efforts with correctional professionals who are utilizing AND materials. Because of the versatility and flexibility of AND curriculum, the project aims to support the universality of the corrections community including prisons, community corrections, jail-based programs, and juvenile programs. Within one year, look forward to a published report that will share this collection of AND outcome data.
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