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Subgroups
The study was a randomized controlled trial. Researchers recruited people from two Kentucky drug court sites to participate. Eligibility criteria for the study were the same as the criteria for the drug court program. Participants were required to have nonviolent charges, self-identify as facing challenges with drug misuse, be classified as having a substance use disorder using the Addiction Severity Index, and consent to urine testing. After completing baseline interviews, researchers randomly assigned eligible people from both drug courts to receive the enhanced employment intervention or receive drug court services.
Recruitment for the study occurred from March 2000 to December 2002. Interested participants were interviewed within two weeks of entering the drug court program. Participants were then contacted for 12-month follow-up interviews.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse
These characteristics are for the sample assigned to the intervention and comparison groups. Most participants were male (65 percent), and most were White (62 percent). Participants' average age was 31. On average, participants had been previously incarcerated about 5 times and had completed almost 12 years of education. About half of the participants were employed at baseline (54 percent).
Center on Drug and Alcohol Research at the University of Kentucky
Researchers developed the enhanced drug court employment intervention as a part of the drug court employment trial. This intervention did not exist before the start of the trial.
Drug court participants who were randomly assigned to the employment intervention condition received 26 weeks of employment services, case management, and life-skills training by trained clinicians with experience in employment and substance abuse counseling. Intervention services were offered in three phases. The first four- to five-week phase focused on obtaining immediate employment and initiating case management services. Before job search activities, intervention participants completed a behavioral contract with their caseworker, and then the caseworker assessed the participant for job readiness. The second 13- to 15-week intervention phase focused on maintaining employment through the development of soft skills. During the maintaining employment phase, intervention participants received training to resolve conflicts at work, set goals and problem-solve, and develop other life skills to lead to successful longer-term employment. The final six-week intervention phase focused on upgrading participants' recently obtained employment by identifying possible employers, enhancing employment skills and job development, and conducting job search and placement activities. Upgrading employment training sessions covered topics such as networking, resume and cover letter writing, filling out job applications, overcoming a criminal record during the hiring process, and workplace behavior.
The comparison group received regular drug court services.
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The enhanced drug court employment intervention occured in three phases. The first phase—obtaining employment—was 4 to 5 weeks long. The second phase—maintaining employment—was 13 to 15 weeks long. The final phase—upgrading employment—was 6 weeks long. The enhanced drug court employment intervention lasted a total of 23 to 26 weeks.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse
The Drug Court employment trial took place at two Kentucky drug court sites: Fayette County Drug Court in Lexington, KY, and Warren County Drug Court in Bowling Green, KY.
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