Description

Relapse rates are frequently high during the first few months after substance abuse treatment, often reversing many of the positive results of treatment. Virtually all treatment programs strongly recommend that participants get involved in “aftercare” or “continuing care” activities after they are discharged. Treatment programs use a variety of strategies to ensure attendance at continuing care activities. The Betty Ford Center conducted a pilot evaluation of a simple, low-cost, post-treatment continuing care intervention. This strategy consists of telephone calls from Center staff to a selected set of participants. The current study is designed to determine whether it is practical and feasible to conduct a larger, more definitive study testing the value of this post-residential telephone call procedure.