Intensive Referral of Veterans to Mutual-Help Groups: A Mixed-Methods Implementation Evaluation

Authors

Lance Brendan Young, Western Illinois University-Quad Cities
Kathleen M. Grant, Western Illinois University-Quad Cities & University of Nebraska Medical Center
R. Dario Pulido, A Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System
Jamie L. Simpson, Midland UniversityFollow
Kimberly A. Tyler, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Christine Timkof, VA Palo Alto Health Care System & Stanford University School of Medicine

Date of this Version

1-14-2020

Citation

2O20 Author(s)

Comments

Alcohol Treat Q. 2018 ; 36(2): 179–201. doi:10.1080/07347324.2017.1407224.

Abstract

Community-based support group participation protects against substance use disorder (SUD) relapse, but referrals during treatment are inconsistently delivered and may not acknowledge barriers facing rural patients. This formative evaluation of a rural intensive referral intervention (RAIR) to community-based support groups for veterans seeking SUD treatment surveyed patients (N = 145) and surveyed and interviewed treatment staff (N = 28). Patients and staff did not differ significantly on quantitative ratings of the helpfulness of, or satisfaction with, seven RAIR components, but staff did not deliver the intervention consistently or as designed, citing two themes: lack of commitment and lack of resources.