Recovery capital outcomes associated with an access to recovery program

Area of Science:

• Addiction research
• Public health initiatives
• Recovery support services

Background:

• State Access to Recovery (ATR) programs aim to enhance client choice, access, and capacity for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and recovery support services (RSS).
• The Kentucky ATR (KATR) program specifically focuses on building recovery capital through participant use of RSSs like housing, transportation, and basic needs support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Kentucky ATR (KATR) program.
• To assess how participant utilization of recovery support services (RSSs) influences the growth of recovery capital over time.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal data collection from KATR participants at four time points: intake, service completion, and 3 and 12 months post-intake.
• Mixed random effects regression models analyzed the impact of RSS voucher utilization on recovery capital (BARC-10), employment, and substance use resumption.

Main Results:

• Recovery housing voucher use was linked to significantly higher recovery capital (BARC-10 scores) and employment rates at all follow-up points.
• Transportation voucher use correlated with higher recovery capital and reduced substance use relapse.
• No significant differences in recovery outcomes were observed for basic needs voucher utilization.

Conclusions:

• The KATR program demonstrated positive associations with improved recovery for individuals in SUD treatment or early recovery.
• A voucher-based system offering self-selected recovery housing and transportation support is effective in enhancing long-term SUD recovery.