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Characterizing substance abuse programs that treat adolescents
Tami L Mark1, Xue Song, Rita Vandivort
1Department of Research and Policy, Thomson/Medstat, Washington, DC 20008, USA. tami.mark@thomson.com
Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
|July 4, 2006
Summary
Many adolescent substance abuse treatment programs may lack key elements for effective care. Improvements are needed in comprehensive assessments and tailored curricula, though discharge planning and aftercare show promise.
Area of Science:
- Addiction Medicine
- Adolescent Psychiatry
- Public Health
Background:
- Limited research exists on adolescent substance abuse treatment program characteristics.
- An expert panel defined nine essential elements for effective adolescent treatment.
- Understanding current service delivery is crucial for improving care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the prevalence of key elements of effective adolescent substance abuse treatment in US facilities.
- To identify areas for improvement in services for adolescent clients.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the 2003 National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services.
- Focused on treatment programs with at least 10 adolescent clients daily.
- Measured the reported inclusion of nine expert-identified treatment elements.
Main Results:
- Many facilities reported lacking crucial components of effective adolescent substance abuse treatment.
- Significant gaps were identified in comprehensive assessments (mental health, medical issues) and culturally/developmentally appropriate curricula.
- A majority of facilities provided discharge planning and aftercare services, but details were not assessed.
Conclusions:
- Substantial opportunities exist to enhance adolescent substance abuse treatment programs in the US.
- Prioritizing integrated assessments and tailored programming is essential.
- Continued evaluation of aftercare and discharge planning specifics is warranted.