Organizational characteristics that foster early adoption of cultural and linguistic competence in outpatient substance abuse treatment in the United States

Recent years have seen an increased interest in developing culturally and linguistically responsive systems of care in substance abuse treatment in the United States. This study examines the extent to which external and internal organizational pressures contributed to the degree of adoption of culturally and linguistically responsive practices in the nation's outpatient substance abuse treatment system early in the period of development of this system of care. Findings show that a higher degree of adoption of culturally competent practices was most likely in treatment programs with high dependence on external funding and regulation. Internally, programs with a larger number of professionals were associated with the lowest degree of adoption, while managers’ cultural sensitivity contributed significantly to a high degree of adoption of these responsive practices. Considering the passage of recent legislation enforcing the use of cultural and linguistic competence in health care, implications of these baseline findings on early adoption patterns are discussed for future research and health care policy evaluation.     

Benefits and costs associated with mutual-help community-based recovery homes: The Oxford House model

We used data from a randomized controlled study of Oxford House (OH), a self-run, self-supporting recovery home, to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the program. Following substance abuse treatment, individuals that were assigned to an OH condition (n = 68) were compared to individuals assigned to a usual care condition (n = 61). Economic cost measures were derived from length of stay at an Oxford House residence, and derived from self-reported measures of inpatient and outpatient treatment utilization. Economic benefit measures were derived from self-reported information on monthly income, days participating in illegal activities, binary responses of alcohol and drug use, and incarceration. Results suggest that OH compared quite favorably to usual care: the net benefit of an OH stay was estimated to be roughly $29,000 per person on average. Bootstrapped standard errors suggested that the net benefit was statistically significant. Costs were incrementally higher under OH, but the benefits in terms of reduced illegal activity, incarceration and substance use substantially outweighed the costs. The positive net benefit for Oxford House is primarily driven by a large difference in illegal activity between OH and usual care participants. Using sensitivity analyses, under more conservative assumptions we still arrived at a net benefit favorable to OH of $17,830 per person.     

The dilemmas for black social work professionals: Therapeutic implications

This paper explores the nature of social work and therapeutic practive from the perspective of black practitioners in Britain today. Black practitioners carry their histories of hurt, loss and reunion, migration and racism with them, and this lends a particular meaning to the idea of 'therapeutic' for them. The writer articulates some of the complexities and tensions of black professional social work identity through a number of vignettes based on her own experience and biography. The paper was presented as a keynote address at the Therapeutic Social Work Today conference at the Tavistock Clinic in 2001.     

对高校双语教学的思考和认识

双语教学已经成为我国课程教学的发展趋势,开展双语教学是培养具有国际合作意识、国际交流能力和具有国际竞争力的外向型人才的客观要求。文章对数理统计双语教学的必要性以及在双语教学的实践中应该注意的问题进行了探讨,并提出了解决问题的方法。     

血栓弹力图在PCI术后患者抗血小板治疗中的应用研究

目的:研究血栓弹力图在经皮冠状动脉介入治疗(PCI)患者中,使用血栓弹力图所测定的血小板抑制率的波动及临床疗效作用。方法:选取我院2012年1月份至2013年12月份收治的200例冠心病PCI治疗患者,应用血栓弹力图分析仪测定其二磷酸腺苷(ADP)途径诱导的血小板抑制率数据,根据抑制率差异分为3组,抑制率70%的为合格组,抑制率30%的为不合格组,入选不合格组再次分为2组,1组保持常规剂量治疗不变,另一组为大剂量治疗组。结果:随访半年的记录,记录一般情况及严重心脏不良事件发生情况。结果:随访的6个月中,共发生不良事件28例,其中合格组10例(9.6%),常规治疗组11例(22.4%),大剂量治疗组7例(14.9%),3组中不良事件发生率比常规治疗组大于大剂量治疗组,大剂量治疗组大于合格组,统计学上有明显差异(P0.05)。结论:血栓弹力图在PCI患者抗血小板治疗中应用具有一定的指导意义。     

Empowered and self-managing users in methadone treatment?

Empowerment is a keyword in treatment. Users should have the means and possibilities to influence their treatment and become self-managing. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in a Danish methadone treatment project, we find that the practices of users and staff are often not carried out in accordance with governmental intentions. We identify a gap between the official notions of treatment and practices. We analyse the notions and practices of empowerment by applying two analytical perspectives. First, we apply a constructionist perspective in which empowerment is analysed as wanting to set users ‘free’ but also as ways to govern. We elaborate the analysis by applying a more practice-oriented focus. Drawing on this perspective, we analyse the ways in which staff and users constantly produce, construct and negotiate institutional practices that differ from the governmental intentions for treatment.     

Characteristics and Outcomes of College-Age Adults Enrolled in Private Residential Treatment: Implications for Practice

Substance use among college-age adults is of interest due to high levels of use and low levels of treatment access and engagement relative to other adults. Data collected from 1,972 clients in residential services were analyzed to investigate differences in use patterns, treatment outcomes, and other life area problems. Participants completed an Addiction Severity Index (ASI) and the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA) at baseline, and an ASI and Treatment Services Review at 1-month and 6-month postdischarge interviews. Almost a quarter (24.1%) of participants were college age (18–25 years old). They were more likely to be White and male, and less likely to complete treatment although they had a longer average length of stay. College-age adults improved on all outcome measures, and posttreatment service use shows significant difference between college-age and older participants. Implications for practice are discussed.     

Barriers to Integrated Treatment of Substance Abuse and Trauma Among Women

Despite increasing empirical support for an integrated approach to treating trauma and substance abuse, many substance abuse treatment programs have been slow to embrace integrated models of practice. Using an embedded case study design, the purpose of this study was to understand barriers that prevented a substance abuse treatment provider and 20 professionals and staff from adopting an integrated approach to treating substance abuse and trauma. Data analysis revealed 2 kinds of barriers that prevented substance abuse treatment professionals from fully integrating substance abuse and trauma: systemic and professional barriers. These barriers have to be taken into account when trying to move providers and professionals toward integrated approaches to treating substance abuse and trauma.     

对我国新型农村合作医疗筹资问题的几点探讨

建立和完善新型农村合作医疗制度应不断探索和创新多元化的新型农村合作医疗筹资渠道,以稳定合作医疗的资金来源;根据不同地区、不同农民的实际收入水平和医疗消费需求状况,探索多层次的新型农村合作医疗筹资和补偿标准;根据我国农民个人及地方政府的投资心理、消费心理,建立自上而下的筹资顺序;结合我国农村实际,不断探索多种简便的、快捷的、农民愿意接受的筹资方式;将农民自愿筹资原则与适度强制筹资原则结合起来,以确保新型农村合作医疗制度的较高覆盖率。     

80岁以上脑卒中偏瘫患者康复治疗临床观察

目的探讨康复治疗对80岁以上脑卒中偏瘫患者的效果。方法对2008年7月至2009年6月本院老年康复科住院80岁以上脑卒中偏瘫患者66例进行分析总结，设定为治疗组33例，并与病区内未进行康复治疗的该类患者33例（对照组）比较，同时-9随机抽取的病区内低于80岁的中老年人脑卒中偏瘫患者康复治疗30例（年轻治疗组）比较。结果治疗组与对照组比较，治疗组肢体功能好转度Brunstrom分级优于对照组，P〈0．001。Barthel指数改善优于对照组，P〈0．001。高龄治疗组与年轻治疗组比较，肢体功能好转度与Barthel指数改善程度无明显差别，P〉0．05。结论康复治疗对80岁以上脑卒中偏瘫患者生活质量有明显提高作用，对高年脑卒中偏瘫患者也应该积极进行康复治疗。