Program structure and counselor-client contact in outpatient substance abuse treatment

To examine organizational structural attributes associated with counselor-client contact.

Data were collected in 2004 and 2005 for a federally funded project, which simultaneously examines organizational structure, functioning, and resources among outpatient substance abuse treatment programs.

The study uses a naturalistic design to investigate organizational structure measures-ownership, accreditation, and supplemental services-as predictors of time in counseling and case management, and caseload size, controlling for geographic differences.

Directors at 116 outpatient drug-free treatment programs located in four regions across the U.S. (Great Lakes, Gulf Coast, Northwest, and Southeast) voluntarily completed a survey about program structure.

Clients received more counseling hours in programs that were "intensive," publicly owned, accredited, and had a lower proportion of recently hired counselors. More case management hours were offered in "intensive," private-for-profit or publicly owned (versus private-nonprofit) programs, serving a lower proportion of dual-diagnosis clients, and providing more on-site supplemental services. Smaller caseloads were found in programs that were accredited and had a smaller average client census and a lower proportion of criminal justice referred clients.

Organizational attributes are related to counselor-client contact and may have implications for staff turnover and service quality.