The proposed study will analyze the effectiveness of each of the major drug abuse treatment modalities in improving (or involving for the first time) drug abusers participation in the legitimate economy. Improved employment of drug abusers is considered both a desirable treatment outcome in itself, and may contribute to improved drug use and criminal activity outcomes. While improved employment is viewed an an important outcome of drug abuse treatment, limited analyses have been done of this outcome. The two major objectives are to : (1) analyze the effectiveness of the drug treatment experience (length of stay, vocational and education services) in improving employment and earnings outcomes; and (2) analyze the relationship of employment outcomes to drug use and criminal activity. These objectives will be addressed through the following specific aims: (a) describe the employment and earnings outcomes of drug abusers before, during and after treatment; (b) examine the sociodemographic correlates of employment outcomes; (c) describe the outcomes of clients in different treatment modalities and receiving different vocational and education services; (d) model the relation of treatment modality, length of stay, and use of vocational and education services to employment outcomes and (f) model the interrelationship of treatment, followup year employment, drug use and criminal activity. Both descriptive analyses and multivariate analyses will be use in this study. The analyses will be performed on the Treatment Outcome Prospective Survey (TOPS) 12 month followup sample , comprised of over 2400 individuals admitted to 40 different residential, outpatient methadone and outpatient drug free treatment programs in 10 major cities in the U.S. The modeling tasks will examine the effectiveness of drug abuse treatment to improve the employment and earnings of drug abusers, focusing on the effects of length of stay in treatment, availability and use of vocational and education services in treatment, and the effect of improved employment outcomes on drug use and criminal activity.
| French, M T; Zarkin, G A; Hubbard, R L et al. (1993) The effects of time in drug abuse treatment and employment on posttreatment drug use and criminal activity. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 19:19-33 |
| French, M T; Zarkin, G A; Hubbard, R L et al. (1991) The impact of time in treatment on the employment and earnings of drug abusers. Am J Public Health 81:904-7 |
