Process Evaluation of Three Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) Programs in Ohio, 1998-1999

This study was a process evaluation of the three
residential substance abuse treatment programs in the state of
Ohio. These programs include MonDay Community Correctional Institution
(MonDay), Mohican Youth Center, and Noble Choices. MonDay is a locally
operated, community-based correctional facility for felony offenders
to which male and female offenders are sentenced in lieu of prison for
a period not to exceed six months. MonDay's RSAT program began in
October 1997, and a Therapeutic Community (TC) was fully implemented
by January 1, 1998. Offenders identified as needing long-term
residential treatment were assigned to MonDay's RSAT for six
months. Mohican Youth Center (MYC) is an institutional-based TC and is
operated by the Ohio Department of Youth Services. Youth convicted of
felonies and assessed as needing long-term residential substance abuse
treatment are sent to MYC for the last six months of their
sentence. Noble Choices is a TC for adult males within the Noble
Correctional Institution, a medium security prison operated by the
Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections. The specific
research questions addressed in this study were: (1) What is the
profile of offenders being served by the Ohio RSAT programs? (2) What
is the nature of the services being delivered by the Ohio RSAT
programs? (3) What are the intermediate outcomes of Ohio RSAT
programs? (4) How are offenders performing under post-release
supervision in terms of relapse and recidivism? and (5) What factors
are associated with successful program completion and post-release
recidivism and relapse? A one-group post-test design was used to
conduct this process evaluation. Each program was studied as a
separate entity. The study period for each program began at the date
of first admission, which was January 1, 1998, for MonDay, March 3,
1998, for MYC, and October 18, 1998, for Noble Choices. The study
period ended on March 31, 1999, for MYC and Noble Choices and on April
30, 1999, for MonDay. The sample consists of 466 individuals,
including 90 from MonDay, 343 from MYC, and 33 from Noble
Choices. Staff at each of the three sites collected intake, treatment,
and termination data on their respective program clients using
standardized forms developed by the University of Cincinnati. The
intake form was used to collect basic demographic information on each
offender along with information on past substance abuse, prior
treatment experiences, and criminal history. The termination form
collected data on type of termination (successful or unsuccessful) and
criminal justice placement and residency upon termination. Each site
also provided agency-specific assessment information on each
offender. Offenders at MonDay were given the Level of Services
Inventory (LSI), which measures the risk of recidivism, and the Adult
Substance Use Survey (ASUS), which measures the severity of substance
abuse problems. Offenders at MYC were administered the Juvenile
Automated Substance Abuse Evaluation (JASAE), which measures the
severity of substance abuse problems, and the Youthful Offender Level
of Services Inventory (YO-LSI). Offenders at Noble Choices were given
the Prison Inmate Inventory (PII), which measures several risk
factors. In addition, offenders at MonDay and MYC were given the
Personal Drug Use Questionnaire (PDUQ), which measures motivation for
treatment at intake and 90 days after intake, and offenders at MonDay
also completed the PDUQ upon termination. Offenders at MonDay were
also administered a Client Self-Rating Form, which measures levels of
social and psychological functioning, at intake, 90 days after intake,
and termination. Follow-up forms were sent to probation and parole
officers to collect information on MYC and MonDay offenders' treatment
and supervision activities during the period of supervision after
release from the program. Follow-up data were collected on terminated
cases from the date of release until August 30, 1999. Part 1, MonDay
Data, consists of data from the LSI, ASUS, and intake, termination,
and follow-up forms for offenders at MonDay. The LSI scores provided
are: criminal history, employment, financial, family, accommodation,
leisure and recreation, companion, alcohol and drug, emotions,
attitude/orientation, and total. The ASUS variable measures severity
of substance abuse problems and distinguishes between scores of 74 or
less and 75 or higher. The intake form provides demographic variables,
employment status prior to arrest, variables related to the current
offense, date screened for RSAT, date placed in RSAT, criminal
history, and substance use history. The discharge form provides
variables on date of discharge, type of discharge, living arrangements
upon discharge, whether continued drug/alcohol treatment was arranged
for client, and criminal justice placement. The follow-up form
provides variables on substance abuse treatment after release, other
services received after release, employment status, reporting status,
drug and alcohol tests after release, whether the offender was
arrested after release and for what offense, whether a conviction
resulted, and the offender's probation status. Several derived
variables are also supplied in Part 1. Part 2, MonDay Client Self
Rating Scales Data, includes the offender's date of placement, date of
birth, the three dates on which the questionnaire was administered,
whether inconsistencies appeared in answers to the questionnaires, and
several scales derived from offenders' answers. These scales, which
are provided for each of the three occasions the questionnaire was
administered, include measures of anxiety, depression, self-esteem,
decision-making, risk-taking, hostility, self-efficacy, and antisocial
attitudes. Several derived variables are also included. Part 3, MonDay
Personal Drug Use Data, consists of variables from MonDay's
PDUQ. Scales and answers to the 20 items on the PDUQ questionnaire are
provided for all three administrations of the questionnaire. In Part
4, Mohican Data, variables from the MYC intake, termination, and
follow-up forms are identical to those from the MonDay forms except
for additional intake variables on whether the youth was in school
prior to arrest, whether the youth experienced certain school
problems, where the youth was living prior to arrest, and whether the
youth had a record of running away from home. Variables provide the
JASAE summary score, date of YO-LSI administration, and YO-LSI scores
in the categories of criminal history, family, education, peer,
substance abuse, leisure and recreation, personality and behavior,
attitudes/orientation, and total. For each YO-LSI score category an
additional variable is provided that indicates whether the score was
low, moderate, or high. Several derived variables are also
provided. Part 5, Mohican Personal Drug Use Data, consists of scale
variables calculated from responses to the MYC PDUQ for both
administrations of the questionnaire. These scales are
precontemplation, contemplation, determination, action, and
maintenance. Part 6, Noble Data, consists of variables from Noble
Choices intake, termination, and PII questionnaires. Variables from
the intake and termination forms are identical to those taken from the
MonDay intake and termination forms. Variables from the PII include
scale variables that measure truthfulness, adjustment, judgment,
alcohol, drug, antisocial attitudes, violence, distress, self-esteem,
and stress. For each of these scales an additional variable is
provided that indicates whether scores were low, medium, high, or
maximum. Several derived variables are also provided.