NCJ Number
15575
Date Published
1974
Length
344 pages
Annotation
THE IMPACT OF LOCAL ACTION PROJECTS - THE SACRAMENTO COUNTY METHADONE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, THE AQUARIAN EFFORT, CAMARILLO RESOCIALIZATION PROGRAM FOR DRUG ABUSERS, THE OPEN DOOR CLINIC, AND WALDEN HOUSE.
Abstract
THESE PROJECTS COVER A RANGE OF MODALITIES OF DRUG TREATMENT. MAJOR PROGRAM FEATURES CONTRIBUTING TO SUCCESS OR FAILURE WERE ASSESSED. THE FINDINGS OF PROGRAM EVALUATION COMPONENTS WERE VERIFIED, AND AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO EXTEND FINDINGS TO ASSESS PROGRAM IMPACT. DATA WERE GATHERED BY REVIEWING PROJECT REPORTS AND GRANT APPLICATIONS, MAKING ON-SITE VISITS TO EACH PROJECT, CONDUCTING STATISTICAL SAMPLING OF CLIENT RECORDS OF PROJECTS, AND MAKING CONTACTS WITH OTHER LOCAL AGENCIES THAT HAD INTERACTED WITH EACH PROJECT. EVALUATION OF THE PROJECTS AS A CLUSTER WAS MADE TO ASSESS THE DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAM IN CALIFORNIA AS A WHOLE. CORE OBJECTIVES WERE BASICALLY THE SAME FOR ALL PROJECTS. ALL OF THE PROGRAMS WERE SUBSTANTIALLY IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE TERMS OF THEIR GRANTS. THE PROJECTS WERE FOUND TO HAVE VARYING DEGREES OF SUCCESS IN TERMS OF IMPACT ON THEIR CLIENTS. WITH RESPECT TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE INVOLVEMENT, SUBSTANTIAL FRACTIONS OF THE CLIENTELE REMAINED ARREST FREE OVER THE PERIOD OF OBSERVATION SUBSEQUENT TO INITIATION OF TREATMENT. TABLES OF THESE RESULTS ARE PRESENTED. SELECTED VALUES OF COST-BENEFIT MEASURES ARE ALSO GIVEN, AND IT WAS FOUND THAT COSTS PER CLIENT YEAR WERE GENERALLY WITHIN RANGE OF THOSE OBSERVED IN OTHER STUDIES. A SUGGESTED EVALUATION POLICY FOR FUTURE STATE USE IS ALSO PRESENTED IN THE REPORT. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)