Service Outreach and Recovery (SOAR)
Findings from a previous study conducted by our research team determined that there was a high prevalence of substance abuse among residentially unstable soup kitchen guests, and that an on-site intervention might be required to effect treatment entry and reduce drug and alcohol use for this population. Consequently a 2nd study was designed and conducted to test the efficacy of group counseling for soup kitchen attendees.
The study delivered low-threshold group interventions utilizing motivational and cognitive-behavioral strategies as a means of increasing participation of street-based substance users in formal treatment and other credible interventions for substance abuse. The first series, Motivational Enhancement for Recovery (MER), consists of 12 manual-driven group sessions (3 per week) designed to help subjects identify and understand their ambivalence about substance use, treatment and recovery, and to develop cognitive discrepancy between their current behavior and their desired behavior. Each participant is encouraged to develop an individualized action plan based on a menu of options for recovery. The second series, Education and Skills for Recovery (ESR), consists of 36 manual-driven group sessions (3 per week) designed to build skills for (a) relapse prevention, (b) coping without drugs (other than prescribed psychotropic medication) with stress-provoking situations and painful emotions, and (c) reducing risks to health, including infection with HIV.
For additional information on this project, please contact us