Case management as a therapeutic enhancement: impact on post-treatment criminality

Using a sample of 453 veterans who received substance abuse treatment and were randomly assigned to case management and non-case management, this study examined both proximal (aftercare participation) and distal (severity of legal problems) measures of treatment outcomes. Multivariate analyses reveal that case-managed subjects stay longer in aftercare services than non-case managed clients. The longer post-treatment aftercare was related to better outcomes in criminality. The length of aftercare participation was also significantly associated with employment and readiness for treatment.