142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase

309805
Predictive Factors of success in a Community-Based Drug Court

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Tuesday, November 18, 2014

David N. Masri, PhD (ABD) , Planning, Development, Research, Evaluation & Substance Use Disorders Services Division, Richmond Behavioral Health Authority, Richmond, VA
Amy Bradshaw, MSW , Planning, Development, Research, Evaluation & Substance Use Disorders Services Division, Richmond Behavioral Health Authority, Richmond, VA
Dawn Farrell-Moore, MSW, LCSW, CSAC , Planning, Development, Research, Evaluation & Substance Use Disorders Services Division, Richmond Behavioral Health Authority, Richmond, VA
Ryan Friedberg, MPH , Planning, Development, Research, Evaluation & Substance Use Disorders Services Division, Richmond Behavioral Health Authority, Richmond, VA
James May, PhD , Planning, Development, Research, Evaluation & Substance Use Disorders Services Division, Richmond Behavioral Health Authority, Richmond, VA
Drug treatment courts, representing a hybrid of clinical services and criminal justice interventions, represent a popular alternative to incarceration for drug-involved offenders to help communities cope with overcrowded jails and unsatisfactory recidivism rates.  The Richmond City Drug Treatment Court is in an urban, mid-Atlantic community that has been designated a HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) since 2005 (HIDTA, 2013).  While drug courts are championed by many as a proven, effective alternative to ‘traditional’ offender parole and probation in many communities, some debate remains as the body of evidence continues to grow.  The GPRA (Government Performance and Results Act) Interview instrument represents a desirable tool for measuring the effects of drug court interventions over time. [The GPRA assesses demographic and risk behavior factors, drug and alcohol use and criminal activity, allowing for longitudinal comparisons of drug court participants  throughout treatment.  The present study utilized an ongoing evaluation database from a SAMHSA-funded drug court to examine GPRA intake responses and 6-month change scores as measures and predictors of successful program outcomes.  Preliminary analyses reveal a 30.6% increase in abstinence from alcohol and drug use, which was also associated with a 25% improvement in employment, stable social connectedness, and stability in housing.  Additional analyses show positive relationships between employment, social connectedness and housing stability with drug court graduation and other measures of drug court success.  Through examination of the predictive value of GPRA measurements, the authors will explore factors associated with drug court success in communities hard hit by drug trafficking.

Learning Areas:

Other professions or practice related to public health
Program planning
Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Evaluate the predictive value of the GPRA interview in determining drug court success Discuss the role of community-based drug courts in prevention and recovery Identify factors associated with success (as defined by graduation and/or relapse prevention) in drug courts

Keyword(s): Drug Abuse Treatment, Criminal Justice

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the co-principal on several APHA presentations and have worked in substance abuse and the drug court area for five years. I am conducting my PhD research in this area and have actively actively worked on drug court grants for several years.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.