mortiz095

A pair of studies were published last month to little fanfare and which seem to be contradictory in nature. Both papers involve 12-step programs and focus on the role of the counselor in delivering Twelve-Step Facilitation (TSF), a SAMHSA-recognized evidence-based practice. Published in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse , the studies come to the following conclusions: Therapist familiarity and personal experience with twelve-step programs (TSPs) improves their credibility among clients and, in turn, therapeutic alliance; yet therapists who viewed TSPs favorably and who described themselves as being in recovery tended to do a poorer job at maintaining fidelity and adherence to TSF in a large, multi-site trial. In the first paper, researchers at the State University of New York administered surveys to clients and counselors at a host of treatment programs in and around Albany. Clients (n=180) rated counselors on their perceived familiarity with  TSPs, the amount of tim...

In a brand new paper by SUNY economist Bans Yoruk, the author analyzes alcohol consumption rates in five states which recently repealed laws banning the sale of alcohol on Sundays. The findings, published online this month in the journal Addiction, show that in three of the five states, per capita alcohol consumption rose significantly in the years following the repeals. Beer seems to be the type of alcohol responsible for most of the increase across the states, with wine and spirits seeing small, if any, changes in demand. The five states studied were Delaware, which repealed its law against Sunday alcohol sales in 2003, as did Massachusetts and Pennsylvania; Rhode Island, which repealed in 2004; and New Mexico, where the law was changed in 1995. The three states whose per capita consumption increased were Delaware (from 4% pre-repeal to 4.7% post-repeal), Pennsylvania (4% to 4.6%), and New Mexico (6.5% to 7.1%). The increase in Rhode Island was “small and statistically insignifican...

In the November issue of the prestigious journal Health Affairs, Anne Fletcher's book Inside Rehab got a very favorable review. Yours truly was highlighted with this paragraph from the review: "Certainly the most useful part of the book is the advice provided by Mark Willenbring, former director of the Division of Treatment and Recovery Research at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. He recommends that those seeking treatment should see themselves as customers and seek the best treatment that will work for them. They should get a comprehensive evaluation from someone not financially invested in a specific treatment program, demand nothing less than master’s degree–prepared therapists, and make sure the program treats any co-occurring issues. They should also not go through the same treatment protocols over and over again when it is obvious that they aren't working. " Thanks to Anne of course, and also to the reviewer, Rick Mathis (Richard_Mathis@b...