USING A MULTIMETHOD APPROACH TO MEASURE SUCCESS IN PERINATAL DRUG-TREATMENT

In the evaluation study of Options for Recovery (OFR), a comprehensive statewide initiative to promote perinatal drug and alcohol recovery, a critical step in the design and implementation of the research was t o define and operationalize indicators of success. Rather than rely on any single evaluation method a number of different data-gathering str ategies were used to illuminate and provide a context for data that pe rtained to a given indicator Qualitative information, derived from the interviews with staff and clients, yielded a set of treatment success indicators that was used to guide the selection of quantitative varia bles, as well as provide a contextual understanding of the quantitativ e findings. The quantitative findings helped to objectify the qualitat ive information This article discusses the practical application of th is multimethod approach and its effectiveness in measuring client succ ess and illuminating the complexities of perinatal substance use treat ment and recovery.