Effects of therapeutic goal management (TGM) on treatment attendance and drug abstinence among men with co-occurring substance use and axis I mental disorders who are homeless: results of the Birmingham EARTH program.
OBJECTIVE
This study describes the implementation and impact of Therapeutic Goal Management (TGM) in a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)-sponsored demonstration project entitled Enhanced Addiction Recovery through Housing (EARTH).


METHODS
The sample included 28 male participants followed at six months who completed some treatment. Forty-three percent were Caucasian, and 57% were African American. The average age of participants was 42 years.


METHODS
The relationships between TGM goal achievement, treatment attendance, and drug abstinence outcomes were studied among EARTH program participants who were homeless and met criteria for co-occurring substance use and severe DSM-IV Axis I mental disorders.


RESULTS
The results revealed an overall drug abstinence rate of 72.4% over six months and significant positive relationships between TGM goal achievement and drug abstinence (r=0.693) and TGM goal achievement and treatment attendance (r=0.843).


CONCLUSIONS
This research demonstrated the relationship and potential positive impact of systematically setting, monitoring, and reinforcing personalized goals in multiple life areas on drug abstinence and treatment attendance outcomes among persons who are homeless with co-occurring substance use and other Axis I disorders in a integrated community service delivery program.
Anna
A
Davidson
Michael
M
Jensen
Emilee
E
Burgess
Angee
A
Stevens
Lauren
L
Hayes
Susan
S
Sieweke
Karen
K
Stough
Anne
A
Wright
Robin
R
McCarty
Lillian
L
Eddleman
Young-Il
YI
Kim
Jesse B
JB
Milby
Division of Preventive Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1717 11th Avenue South, MT 616, Birmingham, AL 35205, USA. jschumacher@uabmc.edu.
Joseph E
JE
Schumacher
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006040:Goals; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010346:Patient Care Management; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D014481:United States; D014482:United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; D055815:Young Adult