A nonobtrusive interview technique for drug abuse program follow-up

A follow-up study of 65 former clients in a drug abuse program employed paraprofessional street workers, indigenous to the area, as data gatherers. The interview was designed to appear to be a casual conversation. Interviewers were trained in the use of a mnemonic device which allowed them to guide the conversation over 46 items of factual information. The information was recorded later on a form. An alpha coefficient reliability estimate of additional subjective ratings on the 65 former clients was .923. An analysys of correlational associations between measures provides an interesting insight into the paraprofessional interviewers' perceptions of posttreatment functioning.