The aims of the study are to test methods for preventing relapse in clients of employee assistance programs, through the use of two EAP services: routine post-treatment follow-up with clients over a two-year period, and routine post-treatment contacts with a family member of the client, over the same period. EAP clients having alcohol, drug abuse, or mental/emotional problems will be randomized into four groups, along two dimensions: client follow-up/no follow-up, and family involvement/no family involvement. An intake period of one year will be required in order to sample 400 clients at each of three study sites, located in Chicago, Austin, and Phoenix. Follow-up contacts will utilize concepts of relapse prevention, as developed in the work of Marlatt and others, adapted for use in a non- clinical setting. Criterion measures to be used in evaluating results include clients' and family members' reports of relapse, job retention, number of relapses for the diagnosed problem leading to inpatient-residential treatment for that problem during the follow-up period, cost of disability during the follow- up period, and health benefits paid for the diagnosed problem and for other health problems during the follow-up period.
