The goal of the project is to develop a summative evaluation process for substance abuse treatment programs. The evaluation design is unique in providing for (1) baseline co-morbidity measures, (2) measures of services provided to the client, and (3) six month post-discharge follow-up with improvement change scores compared against similar client subgroups from a large existing data base. The Addition Severity Index (ASI) and the Treatment Services Review (TSR) will be used to measure co-morbidity and services received; the reliability and validity of both instruments has been documented in earlier research. The project builds upon a decade of federally sponsored research in treatment effectiveness. Phase I goals are to complete the design of the evaluation system, begin construction of a TSR data base, and select an ASI-based adolescent measure. In Phase II the evaluation process will be pilot-tested, and extended to include adolescent programs. Commercial application is in providing systematic, scientifically sound, independent evaluation services to programs in both the public and private sectors, wishing to measure and improve their effectiveness, or responding to federal or private sector (e.g., managed care) pressures to demonstrate effectiveness.
