Motivational Interviewing to Improve Treatment Engagement and Outcome in Subjects Seeking Treatment for Substance Abuse - 1

Participants seeking treatment at the participating CTPs will be randomly assigned to either
"standard" or "MET/MI" treatment, with a 1- and 3-month follow-up. Primary outcome measures
will include (1) treatment retention (e.g., number of sessions/weeks completed, the rate of
patients completing 3 or more subsequent sessions, and (2) substance use (e.g., urinalyses,
days of opioid, cocaine, marijuana, alcohol use, rates of abstinence). Secondary outcomes
will include motivation, psychosocial functioning, HIV risk behaviors, treatment
utilization, and patient satisfaction. Process assessments will include measures of the
working alliance as well as therapist adherence/competence ratings which will evaluate how
effectively MET/MI was implemented. Participating CTPs will implement one of two independent
protocols, depending on which is the best suited or feasible for the intake procedures at
their clinic. Thus, following an invitation to participate, explanation of the study, and
provision of informed consent, patients would complete a brief assessment battery followed
by either:1) Random assignment to 3 individual sessions of standard treatment (treatment as
usual) at the program versus 3 individual sessions of MET; or 2) Random assignment to 1
individual standard assessment/evaluation session.

Inclusion Criteria:

Individuals will be eligible for the protocol who: a)Are seeking outpatient treatment for
any substance use disorder. b)Are 18 years of age or older. c)Are willing to participate
in the protocol (e.g., to be randomized to treatment, be contacted for follow-up
assessment, to have their sessions audiotaped). d)Are able to understand and provide
written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

Individuals will be excluded who: a)Are not sufficiently medically or psychiatrically
stable to participate in outpatient treatment. b)Are seeking detoxification only,
methadone maintenance, or residential inpatient treatment.