title: Predictors of engagement in vocational counseling for methadone treatment patients.
abstract: Employment enhances the outcomes of substance dependency treatment. Unfortunately, although unemployed methadone treatment patients frequently state they are interested in a job, many fail to participate in vocational services when available. Unless patients become engaged, vocational services do not have an opportunity to be effective. This is the first study to explore a broad array of factors that may be associated with differential engagement in vocational services among methadone patients. The study was conducted in two methadone programs in New York City during 2001-2004. Unemployed methadone patients (n = 211) were voluntarily randomly assigned to either of two vocational counseling programs (standard vs. experimental) and followed for 6 months. The sample was 59% male, 75% minority group, aged 45 years on average, and in methadone treatment for 5 years on average. Being engaged in the vocational counseling programs was defined as five or more sessions with the counselor in the first 6 months after study entry. In multivariate analysis, the factors associated with higher engagement in vocational counseling were being non-Hispanic, having more education, a drug injection history, a crack use history, having chronic emotional/mental problems, better work attitudes, and assignment to the experimental vocational program. The results indicate that it is often the most "needy" unemployed methadone patients who become more engaged in vocational counseling. A vocational counseling model which emphasizes assertive outreach and attends to nonvocational clinical issues as well is more likely to engage patients.
authors.affiliation: National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., New York, New York 10010, USA.
authors.forename: Sung-Yeon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Magura
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Blankertz
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Madison
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spinelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003376:Counseling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003710:Demography; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D016832:Employment, Supported / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009294:Narcotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D009294:Narcotics; D008691:Methadone