Topic: addicted offenders

Naltrexone maintenance is a lot cheaper than prison. But it’s a lot more expensive than methadone maintenance, which dulls some of its luster.

Clinicians working with addicted offenders and ‘coerced’ (court-ordered) clients often find these problems complicating substance abuse treatment; this tool can help identify particular areas of concern.

With a little leverage and some understanding of effective therapeutic technique, you can increase the chances of successful outcomes with these clients.

Repeat DUI/DWI offenders can pose tough challenges for treatment programs and counselors. The needs of the client and the demands of the legal system don’t always work together.

The behavior of antisocial persons is a challenge to traditional substance abuse counseling. Offender populations are packed with antisocial clients. It helps to address these behaviors directly, beginning with the treatment plan.

I like to say that most of the conflicts are a tempest in a teapot — the problem being that you are in the teapot along with the tempest.

First, they don’t understand why they’re in treatment, or how it could possibly benefit them. Second, they’re ticked off about having been coerced.

Having a judge or a parole officer holding the big stick on them may be enough to get them into treatment, but it’s usually not enough motivation to get them beyond the minimum of compliance.

It isn’t so much that we can’t address these barriers, it’s that all too often, we lack the tools.

We mobilize legions to deal with them: Judges, law enforcement, parole officers, counselors, teachers, case managers, but their problems persist.