The proposed research focuses both on service system delivery and determination of program effectiveness. One goal is to conduct an evaluation of the effectiveness of a non-intensive intervention with Driving Under the Influence (DUl) offenders. This intervention is modeled on Motivational Enhancement Therapy and contains elements that have been suggested by previous research to be critical for effectiveness. Especially with women and specific minority DUI sub-groups. Sufficient samples of women and African-American DUls will permit assessment of effectiveness in these sub-groups. Offenders will be randomly assigned to the experimental or to a standard DUl educational program (comparison group). Two year outcome measures will focus on alcohol-related driving incidents (DUl recidivism and crashes) as well as exploring program effects on general driving incidents, mortality and other health related outcomes (e.g., injuries, use of emergency/trauma facilities). The latter will be assessed in a health services survey. The research will occur in communities with limited resources for alcohol intervention. Process evaluation will be designed (1) to identify effective/ineffective processes for intervening with DUI offenders and (2) to identify community health service resources that are critical adjuncts to successful intervention with women and minority drinking-drivers. Another goal focuses on service system delivery and integration; health service use will be surveyed in a sample of DUI offenders and use profiles will be constructed. These profiles will be used to identify potential intervention points that are outside of the criminal justice system and that may precede offenders' involvement with the criminal justice system. Specific profiles for target sub-groups (women. minorities) will be used to identify critical service linkages for intervention with those groups. Health service use by DUI offenders has not been previously examined. Using a community panel including health service providers, implications of the research for designing interventions with drinking drivers in alternative (e.g.. health rather than criminal justice setting-will be assessed at project conclusion.
| Wells-Parker, Elisabeth; Williams, Marsha (2002) Enhancing the effectiveness of traditional interventions with drinking drivers by adding brief individual intervention components. J Stud Alcohol 63:655-64 |
| Wells-Parker, E; Kenne, D R; Spratke, K L et al. (2000) Self-efficacy and motivation for controlling drinking and drinking/driving: an investigation of changes across a driving under the influence (DUI) intervention program and of recidivism prediction. Addict Behav 25:229-38 |
| Wells-Parker, E; Williams, M; Dill, P et al. (1998) Stages of change and self-efficacy for controlling drinking and driving: a psychometric analysis. Addict Behav 23:351-63 |
