DOES INCREASING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR COUNSELING INCREASE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OUTPATIENT DRUG-TREATMENT

Increasing the opportunity for group and individual counseling in outp atient drug treatment programs could increase client participation in counseling which, in turn, may enhance program effectiveness. Findings from the evaluation of the Los Angeles Target Cities Enhancement Proj ect indicate that the Target Cities programs successfully increased cl ient participation in group and individual counseling-an increase that cannot be attributed to client characteristics. Further, the magnitud e of the increase in group and individual counseling was sufficient to increase the overall effectiveness of Target Cities programs. These f indings support the widely held contention among drug treatment provid ers and policy makers that frequent counseling is necessary for treatm ent success. They suggest that counselors and other service providers should encourage and facilitate frequent participation in group and in dividual counseling. Most importantly, the findings indicate that incr easing the opportunity for group and individual counseling will increa se client participation in counseling, and this increased participatio n will elevate the overall effectiveness of outpatient drug treatment.