A cognitive-behavioral therapeutic community for substance dependent and homeless veterans: treatment outcome.
This paper presents data regarding a residential rehabilitation program that integrates cognitive-behavioral and therapeutic community techniques to treat homelessness and substance abuse. The study cohort was 110 military veterans admitted to a Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans program of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The cohort had multiple psychosocial problems at admission, and all had drug/alcohol abstinence as a treatment goal. Structured interviews conducted at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postdischarge revealed that a substantial proportion had positive outcomes with respect to housing, substance abuse abstinence, employment, and self-rated psychological symptoms. This integrated cognitive-behavioral therapeutic community approach appears to be a viable treatment for this subset of homeless and also may be effective for other populations with similar clinical characteristics.
Burling
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TA
Palo Alto Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Domiciliary Service, CA 94304.
Seidner
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AL
Salvio
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MA
Marshall
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GD
D000328:Adult; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000523:psychology*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014728:Veterans