The Recovery Capital Model in a Drug Court Setting (071)

Active

Study Information

The primary aim of this study is to build on our previous feasibility pilot of the Recovery Capital intervention (REC-CAP) with two collaborating federal drug treatment courts (DTCs) through an empirical examination of client progress and outcomes when the REC-CAP is implemented as part of court practice. The REC-CAP is a standardized recovery capital measurement and care planning intervention. It quantifies existing levels of an individual’s recovery capital and then uses this metric as the basis for care planning and assertive engagement with community assets. Pilot studies have demonstrated that use of the REC-CAP fosters strong recovery-oriented alliances between the client and staff and provide a clear sense of direction and a path to achieve these goals. We hypothesize that systematic use of the REC-CAP in DTCs will lead to more effective care planning and reviews, and greater positive community engagement, that in turn creates support structures around individuals that promote stable and sustainable change in addiction recovery and criminal desistance. Through this 2-year mixed methods pilot study, we will address the following aims: (1) Examine whether the introduction of the REC-CAP intervention leads to improvements in client recovery capital over time; (2) Examine whether the increase of recovery capital through the introduction of the REC-CAP intervention leads to improved DTC client engagement and outcomes. Additionally, we will examine factors related to the sustainability of the REC-CAP by assessing court staff experience in using it. This study will result in providing preliminary evidence on client outcomes and staff experience due to the incorporation of the REC-CAP intervention. This evidence will be used to support applications for funding for a full-scale trial assessing efficacy of the REC-CAP intervention in DTCs nationwide.

Study Team

PI: Emily Hennessy, Ph.D.

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Research Type

J-RIG Award