PREDICTING POSTPRIMARY TREATMENT SERVICES AND DRUG-USE OUTCOME - A MULTIVARIATE-ANALYSIS

The substance abuse treatment field is continually challenged to devel op interventions that encourage drug abusers to remain longer in thera peutic services and that facilitate improved outcomes. As one of those interventions, case management has generally not been subjected to mu ltivariate analysis to evaluate its role in accomplishing those goals. Using a sample of 444 veterans who received substance abuse treatment services, this study examines relationships among demographic and psy chosocial variables at intake, assignment to either traditional or enh anced (case management) treatment services, and both proximal (postpri mary treatment contact) and distal (severity of drug use) measures of outcome. Multivariate analyses reveal that case-managed clients stay l onger in postprimary treatment services than non-case-managed clients, and consequently, longer postprimary treatment contact leads to bette r drug use outcomes. The implications of these findings are discussed.