Extending residential care through telephone counseling: initial results from the Betty Ford Center Focused Continuing Care protocol.
There is increasing evidence that a chronic care model may be effective when treating substance use disorders. In 1996, the Betty Ford Center (BFC) began implementing a telephone-based continuing care intervention now called Focused Continuing Care (FCC) to assist and support patients in their transition from residential treatment to longer-term recovery in the "real world". This article reports on patient utilization and outcomes of FCC. FCC staff placed clinically directed telephone calls to patients (N=4094) throughout the first year after discharge. During each call, a short survey was administered to gauge patient recovery and guide the session. Patients completed an average of 5.5 (40%) of 14 scheduled calls, 58% completed 5 or more calls, and 85% were participating in FCC two months post-discharge or later. There was preliminary evidence that greater participation in FCC yielded more positive outcomes and that early post-discharge behaviors predict subsequent outcomes. FCC appears to be a feasible therapeutic option. Efforts to revise FCC to enhance its clinical and administrative value are described.
Cacciola
John S
JS
Treatment Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19106, United States. jcacciola@tresearch.org
Camilleri
Amy C
AC
Carise
Deni
D
Rikoon
Samuel H
SH
McKay
James R
JR
McLellan
A Thomas
AT
Wilson
Cheryl
C
Schwarzlose
John T
JT
D000328:Adult; D000359:Aftercare / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000379:methods*; D012114:Residential Treatment / Q000379:methods*; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013689:Telephone