An alternative program for methadone maintenance dropouts: description and preliminary data

Time in drug treatment has been shown to be one of the best predictors of post-treatment success. Since as many as half of the enrollees leave methadone treatment during the first year, the project described in this article was designed to test the effectiveness of an alternative program for individuals who have recently dropped out of methadone maintenance treatment. The goals of this "Alternative Program" are to help participants re-connect with formal drug treatment and other community or medical programs, reduce their HIV risk behavior, decrease or eliminate drug use, join self-help groups, and obtain entitlements. Program components include: contacts by local outreach workers, cognitive-behavioral relapse-prevention group counseling, and individual counseling for needs assessment and referral. This paper describes the basis for development of the intervention, summarizes the methodology being used, and provides preliminary data on participation in the Alternative Program.