DRUG-ABUSING HOMELESS CLIENTS IN CALIFORNIA SUBSTANCE-ABUSE TREATMENTSYSTEM

As many as one-half to three-fourths of homeless persons have diagnose s of alcohol or other drug dependence. Rates of alcohol and other drug use disorders, and the social costs associated with untreated substan ce disorder, am higher among homeless than nonhomeless persons. Despit e the high level of need for treatment, relatively few substance-abusi ng homeless individuals receive treatment for their drug problems, sug gesting difficulties in accessing treatment. This study addresses acce ss by focusing on the select group of homeless drug users who have ove rcome barriers to enter the substance abuse treatment system in Califo rnia and by examining differences between these homeless treatment cli ents and nonhomeless drug-using clients. Major findings from bivariate and logistic regression analyses performed on 187 homeless and 1,820 nonhomeless treatment clients are that homeless clients were more like ly than nonhomeless clients to have a primary drug problem of cocaine/ crack and to be injecting methamphetamine and other amphetamines, and that they were no less likely to complete their treatment program. An implication of this study is that homeless persons with primary drug p roblems appear to have no less commitment to achieving treatment goals than their nonhomeless counterparts.