Friday, 14 January 2005 - 8:00 AM

This presentation is part of: Subtance Abuse Treatment

Providers' Service Profiles Treatment Choices for Alcohol/Drug-Using Clients

Purpose: This study describes professionals' service profile treatment choice for women (pregnant and non-pregnant) and men who use alcohol and drugs (cocaine). The predictors of service profile treatment choice included professionals' educational background, work setting and demographic characteristics.

Methods: A random sample of 610 service providers from alcohol/drug treatment settings, criminal justice, mental health, hospitals/medical services, and social welfare agencies was selected in a two-stage area probability sample. In this cross-sectional study, 457 (73%) service providers were interviewed to examine their service profile treatment selection for all three-client groups.

Results: Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship of service profile selection with providers' educational background, work setting and demographic characteristics. Regardless of their profession or work setting, most providers chose the hospital-based service profile treatment for pregnant women and self-help service profile for non-pregnant women and men. Roughly one-quarter of all providers across professions and work settings selected the therapeutic-based service profile for all three-client groups. Female providers were more likely to select hospital-based service profile treatment for pregnant women (OR = 4.13) and self-help service profile treatment for non-pregnant women (OR = 2.74) and men (OR = 3.31). Providers with nonpost graduate training were less likely to select the self-help service profile for pregnant women (OR = .10), non-pregnant women (OR = .43) and men (OR = .36). Providers’ demographic characteristics were predictors of their adoption of the treatment service profiles.

Implications for practice: Findings indicate that pregnancy status itself is a determinant of hospital-based treatment profile. The territory to treat pregnant drug-using women may belong to some professions (e.g., medical) and not others (e.g., social work). The selecting of service treatment profiles indicates that gender and educational status of providers differentiate between groups and is a predictor of service profile treatment choice.

Words: Service Profiles; Providers; Alcohol/Drug (cocaine-using); Pregnant Women

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