The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #34601

Alexandre B Laudet, PhD, National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., 71West 23rd Street, 8th floor, New York City, NY 10010, 212-845-4520, laudet@ndri.org

Participation in 12-step groups (12SG) during and after formal treatment has been associated with positive outcome among substance users. Clinicians play an important role in involving clients with 12SG; referrals has become widespread but some clients (e.g., dually-diagnosed individuals) are much less likely to be referred. This may result in missed opportunities to provide clients with a potentially effective and much needed lifelong resource for recovery. Further, clients are often ambivalent about 12SG and may not attend or not attend long enough to become involved in 12SG. This paper examines clinicians' and clients' attitudes toward 12SG, perceptions of benefits and limitations, to identify potential obstacles to referral and to involvement. One-hundred clients and 100 staff were interviewed in outpatient substance abuse treatment programs in NYC. 62% of clients had attended 12SG in the past, 44% were currently attending. Main reason for not attending: don't feel the need, the treatment program is enough. Preliminary findings indicate that both staff and clients held positive views of 12SG (main benefits: helpful to recovery, provides peer support; limitation: it cannot get you clean, you have to want it) and agree that it needs to be better integrated with treatment. Staff consistently gave 12SG more positive ratings and viewed its role in the process of treatment and recovery as more important than did clients. Staff also expressed greater interest in learning about 12SG than did clients. Implications for referrals are discussed.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, participants in this session will be able to

• Describe the role of clinicians in engaging clients in 12-step groups;
• List key benefits and limitations of self-help groups;
• Identify obstacles to engaging clients in such groups; and
• Develop strategies to enhance the outcome of referrals to self-help groups.

Keywords: Recovery, Substance Abuse

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.