Thompson's Week 8 Blog

Hello all,

I must confess I was a little flustered writing the literature review for the course because I never had to write one before. In the future I will definitely download the sources I choose to use in my writing. There were a few that I didn't save and it took a lot of time to find them in the library database. I also am unsure whether I accurately analyzed the literature I was writing about. I found that that literature review was just about the hardest paper I have ever written to date. Although, I really understand a lot more than I did about effective drug abuse treatment and funding for it in both the private and public sector. I also learned quite a bit about the criminal justice system and the treatment it offers for drug offenders. Most people still do not get effective treatment from the criminal justice system. The only question about my research I could not answer was exactly how much money the criminal system spends on treatment. According to the research that question has not been thoroughly researched yet. I believe that the general public is still not very informed about the treatment offered by the court system, and they would be disappointed at the lack of effective treatment offered to an individual.

Best of luck to everyone.  Thompson

Thompson's Week 7 blog

 Hello all,

For those of you that have been following my blog I added three new sources to my annotated bibliography and used three sources that I had found previously throughout the term. The three new sources are the first three below following my research question, and the reason why I added them was because I did not answer the last part of my research question until this week. The part that I researched for this week was funding for drug treatment as opposed to incarceration. The search path that I used to locate them was actually calling the reference desk at the Chapman Library. I had to ask for help because I could not find anything on my own regarding that part of my question. The librarian guided me through a keyword search in the discover database in the Leatherby Library database and I found about 360 results using keywords such as funding and substance abuse -- treatment typed into the first two fields. I tried to guide myself with the research for the last part of my question but came up empty. I feel that all the sources I used are credible because they are articles based on research studies conducted by those in the field that have outstanding credentials.  Furthermore, three of the articles I used were related to the same author which lends credence to the author's expertise. I believe with the research I have gathered I am in good shape to confidently answer most aspects of my research question. The only gap in my question would be the amount of money funded by the criminal justice system for drug treatment, but most of the articles included in my bibliography claims that that part of my question has not been extensively researched. I believe that the part of my research of most interest to a wide audience would be the effectiveness of family-based therapy with substance users and the motivation from arrest that allows an individual to seek help. Until next time.

Research Question

What Are The Most Effective Therapies Being Used To Treat Adolescents and Adults For Drug Addiction And Why Isn’t More Money Funneled From The Criminal Justice System To Treat Drug Offenders For Addiction As Opposed To Incarceration?

Annotated Bibliography

Arfken, C. L., & Kubiak, S. P. (2009). Substance Abuse Treatment And Services By Criminal

Justice And Other Funding Sources. Addictive Behaviors, 34 (6-7), 613-615. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2009.03.015

Annotation

          The article focuses on public and private funding for substance abuse treatment within community-based agencies, and places emphasis on the difference in services offered when an agency is funded primarily from a criminal justice agency.  The source contends that the association within a state as to funding from the criminal justice system is unknown.  However, agencies that rely on the funding from a criminal justice entity as its most important funder for substance abuse treatment are more inclined to offer specific ancillary services and motivational interviewing tactics.  The method used was a case study of Michigan’s funding for treatment from its Single State Authority (SSA) and its Department of Corrections (DOC).  Agencies that were primarily funded from a criminal justice agency offered case management services but no pharmacotherapy was offered as treatment.  The study shows a contrast in treatment services when an agency depends on public or private funding.  The study was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and concludes that an agencies primary funding has direct implications on the services offered.

          The information was published within the last five years and is relevant to my research question that applies to funding from the criminal justice system for drug treatment.  The authors carry impressive credentials in their professional field and are authors of a number of articles in the area of substance abuse and treatment.  The information seems reliable and there is abundance or references attached.  There is contact information for the authors that lends credence to the authority of the article.  The article leaves me wanting to find more research on just how much public funding is used for substance abuse treatment. 

Buck, J. A. (2011). The Looming Expansion And Transformation Of Public Substance Abuse

Treatment Under The Affordable Care Act. Health Affairs, 30 (8), 1402-1410. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2011.0480

Annotation

          The article emphasizes the way funding for substance abuse and mental health treatment will exponentially increase under the Affordable Care Act.  New laws governing substance abuse and mental health treatment under the Affordable Care Act will mandate that states offer substance abuse and mental health treatment as part of their healthcare system as opposed to the current system in which public substance abuse treatment is distinct and independent from the overall healthcare system in the United States.  As a result those with substance abuse and mental disorders will be able to receive much needed treatment.  These new laws will increase funding in the public sector for these disorders and greatly improve substance abuse and mental health treatment in the United States.

          The author works as a senior advisor at the centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services of Behavioral Health and it is reasonable to assume that he has direct knowledge of the new reforms brought about by the Affordable Care Act.  The article is very current and there is many references attached to the article.  It seems that the author’s position in his profession would give him authority to speak on the topic.  The information seems reliable and trustworthy and the intended audience is the general public.  The article has contact information in the form of an e-mail address.  This information is relevant to my topic because it gives information about future funding in healthcare to treat those with substance abuse issues.

Kubiak, S. P., Arfken, C. L., & Gibson, E. S. (2009). Departments of Corrections as Purchasers

Of Community-Based Treatment: A National Study. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 36 (4), 420-427. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2008.08.009

Annotation

          The research is based on a national study done in regards to substance abuse treatment for drug offenders by funding from a state’s Department of Corrections (DOC) and the state’s Single State Authority (SSA) which included all 50 states.  The study contends that a state’s DOC direct funding for community-based treatment is essential for reducing substance use as well as recidivism. In order for this reduction in substance use and recidivism to be successful access to treatment for individuals in prison or jail is essential.  Two entities from each state typically fund community-based treatment which is a state’s DOC and a state’s publicly funded SSA.  The method of the study consisted of targeting a state’s DOC and SSA as to a state’s contribution to community-based treatment.  The research concluded that 35 of the 50 states purchased treatment while an individual was on probation or parole.  11 states reported to funding treatment only for individuals in prison, and 7 states excluded individuals from treatment for violent and sexual crimes.  The source is relatively current and has been reviewed by peers. 

          The authors have impressive credentials and are affiliated to Universities that specialize in the field of Social Work and Psychiatry, and it seems these authors are extremely qualified to write on the topic.  There is contact information for the authors and references relating to the topic are plentiful.  This source has been extremely helpful in answering some of my research questions regarding funding for substance abuse treatment as opposed to incarceration. Although further research would be necessary to find out why more money isn’t funneled into treatment from the criminal justice system.

Kubiak, S. P., Arfken, C. L., Swartz, J. A., & Koch, A. L. (2006). Treatment at the Front End

Of The Criminal Justice Continuum: The Association between Arrest and Admission into Specialty Substance Abuse Treatment. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 1 (20), n.p. doi: 10.1186/1747-597X-1-20

Annotation

          The research article addresses the issue of how substance use disorders (SUD) is directly related to criminal recidivism, and how substance abuse treatment is critical to breaking this revolving cycle.  The data contends that out of all arrests 40% of men and women meet the criteria for drug dependency, but very few of those arrested receive treatment. The study further suggests that an arrest is a critical time for intervention and treatment, and can thereby be a motivating factor in an individual seeking treatment.  The method of the research focused on the association between arrest and admission into drug treatment using a nationally representative community dwelling sample.  The limitations of the study involved the self-reporting nature of the data that may have underestimated arrest and drug use resulting in lower estimates of the collected data.  The study concludes by arguing that by using arrest as a catalyst drug treatment can be more effective thereby keeping more individuals from being incarcerated.  The study also argues how drug treatment would be financially cheaper on society than the incarceration of those who abuse drugs.

          The authors of this source are repetitive when it comes to my topic and it is reasonable to conclude that they are experts in their professional field and my topic of research.  The authors cite references that are all related to substance abuse and treatment and contact information is available for the authors.  Due to the repeated exposure to research articles written by the authors it is reasonable to conclude that their work is accurate and trustworthy.  Although the article is around seven years old it is helpful to my research question as it provides a base foundation to the importance of treatment after arrest for drug offenders.  This article qualified for my further pursuit as to funding for drug treatment throughout the criminal justice system.

Robbins, M. S., Feaster, D. J., Horigian, V. E., Rohrbaugh, M., Shoham, V., & Bachrach, K.,

et al. (2011).  Brief Strategic Family Therapy Versus Treatment As Usual: Results Of A Multisite Randomized Trial For Substance Using Adolescents.  Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 79 (6), 713-727.  doi:10.1037/a0025477

Annotation

          The article consisted of a quantitative study on how family intervention has been proven to be quite effective with diminishing drug abuse among adolescents. The article claims that through empirical research family-based intervention has been proven to be at least as effective, if not more effective, than individual, group, or cognitive behavioral intervention in regard to adolescent drug use. However, few studies have been done to evaluate family-therapy intervention in real-world settings. The method used for the study was that adolescents and their parents were enrolled in a randomized trial of Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) as well as Treatment As Usual (TAU) and therapists were randomly assigned. The drug abuse of these adolescents was assessed at 4, 8, and 12 month intervals, and those who participated in the study had to self-report the use of illicit drugs. The dependent variable was the amount of drug use in a twenty-eight day period, and the results indicated that family-based intervention was significantly more effective than for Treatment As Usual (TAU) when it came to adolescent drug abstention and better family functioning. However, when it came to the self-reporting of drug use among adolescents the data was inconclusive. This limitation was of concern to the study, because the weak self-reporting of drug use among adolescents raised concerns about how to successfully transport this family-based therapy into community settings.

          The authors of this source have outstanding credentials in their field of expertise, and cite many references that are relevant to their field of study.  The article is extremely current with relation to the study and is extremely relevant to my topic.  Since the article is dependent on empirical evidence verified by a clinical trial it is reasonable to conclude that the information is both credible and reliable.  There is contact information for the authors which lend credence to the trustworthiness of the study.  This article is essential to my research because it provides a platform as to which substance abuse treatments are effective as it testifies that family-based intervention is essential for the treatment of adolescents and adults or at least as effective as other therapies.

Rowe, C. L., (2012). Family Therapy for Drug Abuse: Review and Updates 2003-2010.

Journal of Marital & Family Therapy, 38 (1), 59-81.  doi: 10.1111/j.1752-0606.2011.00280.x

Annotation

The journal article cited above is a study conducted from 2003-2010 on the treatment methods used for those dealing with substance abuse issues.  It uses research to establish the recent rise in drug use, and contends that most of that rise is in the use of marijuana, ecstasy, alcohol, and prescription drugs.  According to the article, drug use and abuse has a direct correlation to social pressures, community interaction, deficits in parenting, family conflict, and family psychopathology.  According to current research, supportive parenting and family involvement is shown to reduce the rate of drug use in adolescents, and its deficit is directly linked to drug use and abuse in adulthood.  The current research has shown that Behavioral Couples Therapy (BCT) and Family Therapy has been quite effective in reducing drug abuse and delinquency in adolescents.  The article has also produced the latest research on the cost of drug abuse to the juvenile court system which is around 14 billion per year, and maintains that only 1% of this cost is used for counseling and treatment.  It concludes by claiming that a family-based approach to treatment is the most effective method in substance abuse treatment.

The article is extremely current, and extremely relevant to my topic as well as my major.  The author holds a doctorate degree and is an associate professor in the Department for Epidemiology and Public Health, Center for Treatment Research on Adolescent Drug Use at the Miller School of Medicine in Miami.  The author seems quite qualified to write on the topic, and the article has been reviewed by peers.  The article has contact information for the author, and there is an extensive list of references with regard to the author’s research.  The purpose of the article is to inform those in substance abuse counseling of the most effective course of treatment backed by a decade long research study.  The article has answered some specific questions related to my topic and helped me to better understand the most effective treatments being currently used in the field of substance abuse counseling with regard to adolescents.  Although this article researches effective treatments for adolescents it leave a gap as to what treatments work well with adults when it comes to treating adults for substance abuse.

WEEK 6 RESEARCH BLOG POST

This week in class we focused a great deal on issues regarding plagiarism, academic integrity, intellectual property, copyright laws, trademarks, and other issues that are protected under law and in the academic arena.  Since I have been going to college for about five years now I have heard a lot about plagiarism, cheating, and things of that nature, but I learned a lot of new information during the readings and tutorials this week that I have never heard of before. For instance, I never new that a person's doodles on a page where protected as a person's intellectual property. This was something I had not thought about before. I also did not know that in other cultures someones ideas are considered the property of the community, and that those who come to the US from those countries have a harder time understanding what plagiarism is because of their different culture. Some of these thing are very interesting. I also learned this week about how the University deals with those who are suspected of plagiarism, and would not want to ever be accused of that academic violation.  I also learned quite a bit from the u-tube video and how they see copyright laws. From what I've learned this week about all this information I now know that academic integrity is a must if someone wants to succeed in their educational and professional endeavors. When one does research in their field of study at the professional level and is accused of plagiarism they can be sued as well as lose their career and that is a lot bigger deal than getting suspended or expelled from a University. From this information I will definitely be on my guard to have the utmost integrity in my writing. This week I also had the chance to get acquainted with open access journals on the web and I must admit that I found them to be much harder to navigate than the databases in the library. I'm not very fond of those websites, but I'm sure I just need more practice. The one thing that I am still not clear about is whether a research paper that is turned in to a professor is the property of the student or the property of the professor or the University. Maybe someone can clear that up for me.

Thompson's Week 5 Research Blog

This week I was introduced to individual databases that can be used to do specific research in different fields of study, and had no idea they existed until this course ensued. I actually learned a lot about the databases by using them to find relevant research for my research question. Part of my research question has to do with, at current, what the most effective treatments are available when it comes to substance abuse treatment, and through my research I am learning that family-based therapy seems to be one of the most effective treatments. The research I just finished with talked in length about how through empirical research family-based drug intervention is at least as effective, if not more so, than individual, group, or cognitive drug intervention. Family-based therapy is based upon counseling that incorporates one's family to help achieve some form of abstention from illicit drugs, and seems to work rather well when it comes to adolescent drug abuse. From my research so far I have determined that I presented a challenging research proposal that will take some work to answer, but I believe that it is an appropriate and worthwhile question to pursue. I would like to research individual and cognitive-based therapies further so that I will be better informed about the different avenues used to treat drug addiction. I am also excited to press on in my research to answer the second part of my research question; why isn't more money funneled from the criminal justice system to treat drug addiction as opposed to incarceration. I believe this part of my question will pose the greatest challenge. I believe I am starting to become more familiar with the research process, but do not completely understand controlled vocabulary searches. If anyone could give me some advice when it comes to these types of searches it would be greatly appreciated.