title: Clinician-delivered contingency management increases engagement and attendance in drug and alcohol treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the impact of a low-cost contingency management (CM) delivered by program clinicians on treatment attendance and utilization for patients enrolled in outpatient psychosocial substance abuse treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study used a pre-posttest design to compare substance abuse patients who received Reinforcement-Based Treatment (RBT) plus low cost CM (n=130; RBT+CM) to patients who received RBT only (n=132, RBT). RBT+CM participants received a $10 incentive for returning to treatment the day following intake assessment (day one), and a $15 incentive for attending treatment on day five following admission. RBT clients received standard care intervention without the addition of the CM procedures. Groups were compared on proportion of participants who returned to treatment on day one, mean days of treatment attendance, individual sessions attended, and treatment utilization during the first week and the first month following treatment admission.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both the RBT+CM and RBT group participants returned to the clinic on day one at high rates (95% versus 89%, respectively). However, the RBT group participants were more likely to attend the intake assessment only (i.e., never return to treatment) compared to the RBT+CM participants. Additionally, the RBT+CM participants attended significantly more treatment days, attended more individual counseling sessions, and had higher rates of overall treatment utilization compared to the RBT participants during the one week and one month following treatment admission.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings support the feasibility and effectiveness of a CM intervention delivered by clinicians for increasing treatment attendance and utilization in a community substance abuse program.
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fitzsimons
authors.affiliation: University of Maryland School of Social Work, Baltimore, MD, USA; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: mtuten@ssw.umaryland.edu.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tuten
authors.affiliation: University of Texas at San Antonio College of Education and Human Development, Department of Counseling, San Antonio, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Courtney
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Borsuk
authors.affiliation: University of Tennessee, Department of Psychology, Knoxville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lookatch
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hanks
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology*; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Contingency management; RBT; Substance abuse; Treatment retention