Elements of an Effective Substance Abuse Treatment Model for Offenders

Part 5: Adjunctive Services

Presentation to Caribbean CICAD membersSt. Lucia

November, 2004

Elements of an Effective Substance Abuse Treatment Model for Offenders

Part 5: Adjunctive Services

Presentation to Caribbean CICAD membersSt. Lucia

November, 2004

Correctional Service of Canada

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Adjunctive ServicesAdjunctive Services

As discussed previously, offenders typically have multiple need areas

Model adopted by the Correctional Service of Canada is to address these multiple needs through multiple interventions and programs

Intake assessment determines need areas and assists in prioritizing interventions

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Step 1: Needs AssessmentStep 1: Needs Assessment

First step in determining most appropriate adjunctive services is a needs assessment of the target population

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Profile – Canadian Federal OffendersProfile – Canadian Federal Offenders

Education Deficits - 70% of offenders test below grade 8 (CAAT)

Employment Problems - 74% have unstable job histories. 69% are unemployed at arrest

Decision Making Problems - 80% are poor problem solvers. Many have difficulties managing money

Mental Health Problems - 20% have been hospitalized in a mental health facility. 11% have a current psychiatric diagnosis

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Infectious Diseases (2003)Infectious Diseases (2003)

In CSC prisons, the prevalence of:

HIV is 7 to 10 times higher

Hepatitis C is 30 times higher than the general Canadian population

CSC Canada

HIV 1.9%(N=227)

0.2%

HCV 26%(N=3167)

0.9%

Federal Prison vs. GeneralPopulation in Canada*

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Step 2: Assessment of NeedsStep 2: Assessment of Needs

Once need areas are identified in the population, important to have mechanism to assess and prioritize those needs

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Needs Assessment – CSCOffender Intake Assessment

Process

Needs Assessment – CSCOffender Intake Assessment

Process

Timing - during offender intake

Includes: a complete profile of the offender’s

criminal and social history Rating of static factors related to

criminal re-offending Prioritized listing of dynamic factors

related to reducing risk of re-offending Sentence-wide Correctional Plan Security classification and initial

placement recommendation

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Offender Intake AssessmentSupplementary Assessments

(as required)

Offender Intake AssessmentSupplementary Assessments

(as required)

Psychological assessments Substance Abuse assessments Educational and vocational

assessments Family violence assessments Sex offender assessments Assessment for Methadone

Maintenance Treatment

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Step 3: Planning ServicesStep 3: Planning Services

Need to determine how to deliver adjunctive services

Establishment of “in-house” services or engagement of community resources

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Examples of Adjunctive ServicesExamples of Adjunctive Services

Drug-Free living environments Gender-specific services HIV/AIDS testing and education Life skills development Academic development Employment skills

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Drug-Free Living EnvironmentsDrug-Free Living Environments

Main goal: to provide a positive living environment for offenders who wish to remain free of alcohol and drugs and to support and reinforce offender efforts to change substance abuse behaviour

Different models for implementation – program vs. living environment

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Correctional Service of Canada Intensive Support Units (ISUs)Correctional Service of Canada Intensive Support Units (ISUs)

Drug-free living environment

Voluntary - offenders sign contract

Access available to both offenders who have substance abuse problems as well as those who do not

Automatic removal for violation of Unit’s drug-free policy. Offenders can apply for re-entry after 30 day period

NOT a program - encourages offenders to participate in programs identified in their Correctional Plan

Access to Unit by non-residents can be controlled and monitored

Additional security controls to monitor adherence to drug-free unit rules

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Intensive Support Units (ISUs)Intensive Support Units (ISUs)

Initiative began with 5 pilot sites in February, 2000

Currently have approximately 1,300 ISU beds nationally in 47 institutions

Preliminary research has yielded positive results on the impact of the ISU

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Gender-Specific ServicesGender-Specific Services

Responsivity factor – women offenders have some unique needs in terms of services required

In CSC, have a separate stream of programs for women (e.g., Women Offender Substance Abuse Program (WOSAP)

Not feasible in jurisdictions where the number of women offenders is extremely low

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HIV/AIDS Testing and EducationHIV/AIDS Testing and Education

Testing for infectious diseases – legislative restrictions

In CSC, have voluntary testing program for offenders

Also pilot with public health for anonymous testing

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HIV/AIDS Testing and Education (cont.)

HIV/AIDS Testing and Education (cont.)

Methods of Education:

Awareness programs

Pamphlets, brochures

Peer education counselling

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Life Skills DevelopmentLife Skills Development

Can include programming in such areas as problem solving, anger and emotions management, leisure skills, parenting skills, and skills for functioning in the community (e.g., money management)

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Education ProgramsEducation Programs

In CSC the following education programs are available at all institutions:• Adult Basic Education (Grades 1 to

10)• Secondary Education• Vocational Education• Post-Secondary Education

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Vocational Education - ExamplesVocational Education - Examples

Agriculture Welding and metal trades Hairdressing Small engine repair Auto mechanics Electronics Carpentry and cabinet-making Plumbing Computer programming

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Employability ProgramsEmployability Programs

“on-the-job training”, usually with some kind of certification provided

Employment and career planning programs – problem solving, critical thinking, punctuality, interacting with coworkers, dealing with authourity figures

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Questions and Comments