OUTCOMES OF A 21-DAY DRUG DETOXIFICATION PROGRAM - RETENTION, TRANSFER TO FURTHER TREATMENT, AND HIV RISK REDUCTION

We investigated the outcomes of a 21-day inpatient drug detoxification and rehabilitation program including length of stay, transfer to furt her treatment, and HIV risky behavior. Clients (n = 567) were predomin antly White, male, currently unemployed, and their treatment was not c overed by third party payment. 78% were detoxified with methadone. The median length of stay was 18 days. Higher education, not living with spouse or children, English as primary language, admission during fall or winter months, and greater knowledge of HIV transmission were inde pendent predictors of greater length of stay. Among those with follow- up (n = 450), 19% were transferred to residential drug-free programs a nd 7% to outpatient programs. Taking into account loss to followup, th e overall rate of treatment transfer could be as low as 21%. Greater l ength of stay was associated with higher rates of transfer to resident ial treatment. Relapse rates to either any drug use or injection drug use were lower among subjects transferred to residential treatment tha n either clients transferred to outpatient programs or those with no f urther treatment. Among subjects who continued to inject drugs at foll ow-up, no reduction in HIV risky behaviors was found regardless of fur ther treatment. We conclude that detoxification programs have the pote ntial for reducing relapse to drug use when followed by residential dr ug-free treatment.