Evaluating The T.E.A.C.H. Program:

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Evaluating The T.E.A.C.H. Program The
Effectiveness of Addiction Treatment Coupled
with Higher Education
presented at the University of California
Irvine by Brendan Bickley Paul Alexander
May 15, 2004
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WAR ON DRUGS FAILURE
Why Study Addiction Treatment?
LEFT
RIGHT
Our drug prohibition policy is hopeless.
Judge James P. Gray Why Our Drug
Policy Failed

• We are speaking of a plaguea plague for which
  no cure is at hand, nor in prospect
• William F. Buckley
• Commenting on the War on Drugs

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Drug Addiction Alcoholism in the U.S.

• Alcoholism and Drug Addiction is a
• medical disease (DSM IV)
• 25 of jail inmates
• committed their offense to get money for
• drugs (Bureau of Justice)
• Almost 70 of inmates involved with drugs
• prior to incarceration(Drug Use, 2000).
• The U.S. Federal Government spent 19 billion
• dollars in 2003 on the War on drugs a rate of
• about 600 dollars per second

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A medical condition calls for a medical response

• Treatment Works.
• 15 years of research establishes this fact.
• What constitutes effective treatment.

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What is The T.E.A.C.H. Program?

• Transitional, Education, Action, Career, Help
• A Unique Addiction Treatment Modality combining
  higher education and traditional, 12-step drug
  and alcohol treatment
• Founded and implemented in 1998 under the
  umbrella of Sober Living by the Sea Treatment
  Centers Inc.

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Educations Impact on Addiction Recovery

• A positive impact on re-arrest rates and
  criminal behavior (Frease, 1973 Garrett
  Larson, 1996 Hirschi,1978 Johnson, 1979).
• Sentencing of first-time, non-violent drug
  offenders to classes related to addiction is a
  common practice (Wilson, 1998 Wapner, 1996).
• Empower patients, ease their defenses, and
  reduce the stigma they experience (Finnell,
  2000).
• Personal accomplishment, a sense of
  participating in a socially valued endeavor, the
  anticipation of legitimate employment (Walsh,
  1985).

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Addiction Counselor Training and Education

• 1. Department of Psychology at the University of
  Arizona Study
• (Kahn Stephen, 1981).
• 2. Australian State of Queensland Study
• (Kahn Fau, 1981).
• 3. Southern California Community College System
  Study
• (Wilson 1998).

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Previous Research on the Effects of Education
Treatment
Education
Treatment

Success

• Previous Studies show this
• rehabilitative model is highly successful.

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Articles About the TEACH Program
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Research Site Sober Living by the Seas
T.E.A.C.H Program

• TEACH is unique in its approach to transitional
  treatment.
• The effort to re-integrate the addicted
  individual back into society by enrolling them at
  a local community college is an unprecedented
  approach.
• Proximity to researchers

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Sober Living By The Sea Houses
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Sober Living By The Sea
Addiction Treatment Facility Newport Beach, CA 90
Days of Traditional Residential Treatment

• Traditional Treatment Defined
• Group Process
• Recovery Meetings (AA, NA, etc.)
• 1-on-1 Therapy or Case Management
• Structured Living Environment
• Random Urinalysis Testing

90 Day -3 Phase Process Phase I Phase II Phase
III Clients can enter TEACH At any point in the
3 Phase Process of their treatment.
The T.E.A.C.H. College Program
Combines all the treatment from the traditional 3
Phase process, but adds classes at a community
college.

Figure 1. Sober Living By The Sea Structure
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Hypotheses
H1

• Enrolling clients in college classes (Human
  Services Classes) while receiving addiction
  treatment at a primary drug and alcohol treatment
  facility increases the likelihood of continuous
  abstinence from drugs and alcohol.

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Hypotheses (cont.)
H2

• Clients involved in the T.E.A.C.H. Program will
  score higher on the following measures of overall
  success at the time of discharge completion of
  steps, completion of treatment goals, remaining
  abstinent in treatment, and clinicians
  estimation of success.

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Hypotheses (cont.)
H3

• Commitment to Recovery Clients in the
  T.E.A.C.H. Program are more likely to remain
  active in recovery six months after discharge.

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Methodology

• Random Sample of 150 cases selected from a pool
  of approximately 1000 cases.
• 75 SLBTS 75 T.E.A.C.H.
• Archival data directly coded from past
  participants case files.
• Six month post-treatment phone survey.

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Data

• Addiction Severity Index
• MMPI-II (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality
  Inventory- 2)
• Progress/Success Instrument
• Taken from clinicians discharge summary.
• Post Treatment Measures
• Survey administered Six Months after
  discharge.

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Sample Characteristics
SLBTS Group TEACH Group
Gender 66 male 34 female 56 male 44 female
Age 29.5 21.92
Length of Stay 3.96 Months 6.49 Months
Prior Treatments 2.90 2.21
Main Drug Heroin/Cocaine Alcohol/Heroin
First Use Alcohol 13.2 13.9
First Use Drugs 15.09 15.62
Job Tenure 61.65 Months 16.13 Months
Need for Treat. 6.75 6.5
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Results
Variables SLBTS TEACH
H1 Continuous Sobriety 1.21 1.56 plt.001
H2 Completed Program 1.12 1.25 n.s.
H2 Steps Completed 7.63 8.23 n.s.
H2 Number of relapses .65 .52 n.s.
H2 Completed Treatment Goals 1.28 1.23 n.s.
H2 Clinicians Estimation Success 2.31 2.79 plt.001
H3 Employed at Discharge 1.79 1.88 n.s.
H3 Recovery Meetings 1.21 1.20 n.s.
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General Finding
Participants in The TEACH Program were
significantly more likely to have a higher
estimation of success at the time of discharge
and maintain continuous abstinence from drugs and
alcohol six months post release.

• Participants in the educational component of
  SLBTS were more likely to maintain continuous
  abstinence from drugs and alcohol and more
  committed to their recovery.

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In Perspective

• Relatively small sample size
• Difficult to eliminate variables that might
  influence outcome measures.
• Ethnicity and SES were relatively uniform,
  whereas age between the groups differed
  significantly.
• Self report validity.

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Acknowledgements

• Dr. Valerie Jenness, UCI Honors Seminar
  Instructor
• Dr. George Tita, UCI Faculty Mentor
• Dr. Dick Wilson, Saddleback College

Research Assistants Nicole Riedman,
Saddleback College Missy Tenzer, Saddleback
College Heather Volcom, Cal State Fullerton
Funding Sources Undergraduate Research
Opportunities Program (UROP)
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For more information contact us at
Paul Alexander Brendan Bickley Dept. of
Criminology, Law and Society Department of Social
Ecology University of California, Irvine palexan
d_at_uci.edu bbickley_at_uci.edu