In this paper, we explore the unmet need for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment among youth, its consequences, and the opportunity to address this gap due to the expansion of behavioral health services to school-based settings under the Parity and Affordable Care Acts. We discuss the importance of using evidence-based approaches to assessment…

This pilot study evaluated the effectiveness of enhanced case management for substance abusers with comorbid major depression, which was an integrated approach to care. One hundred and 20 participants admitted to drug treatment who also met Computerized Diagnostic Interview Schedule criteria for major depression at baseline were randomized to…

The expansion of behavioral health services to school-based health centers under the Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148) presents an opportunity to improve access to substance use disorders treatment for youth and reduce their substance use, and emotional, health, and school problems. We explore the feasibility of implementing five to seven…

This study used Rasch measurement model criteria and traditional psychometric strategies to examine key psychometric properties of the Behavioral Complexity Scale (BCS), a widely used measure of externalizing disorders that focuses on attention deficit, hyperactivity, and conduct disorders. With a sample of 7,435 persons being screened for…

In assessing criminality, researchers have used counts of crimes, arrests, and so on, because interval measures were not available. Additionally, crime seriousness varies depending on demographic factors. This study examined the Crime and Violence Scale (CVS) regarding psychometric quality using item response theory (IRT) and invariance of the…

This article examines the effectiveness of quarterly Recovery Management Checkups (RMCs) for people with substance disorders by level of co-occurring mental disorders (34% none, 27% internalizing disorders, and 39% internalizing and externalizing) across two randomized experiments with 92% to 97% follow-up. The 865 participants are 82% African…

Assesses the relationship between discharge status and therapeutic outcomes after discharge from a residential treatment program for adolescents. Results of this study did not indicate superior outcomes for the planned discharge group. Several issues are raised regarding the use of discharge status as a performance indicator and recommendations…

A surge in adolescent alcohol and illicit drug use during the 1990s triggered renewed calls for evidence-based intervention programs and sparked an unprecedented federal investment in treatment-related adolescent research. This article discusses some of the major findings of this research with particular reference to their implications for the…

This paper explores the relationship between adolescent marijuana use and school attendance. Data were pooled from the 1997 and 1998 National Household Surveys on Drug Abuse to form a sample of 15 168 adolescents, aged 12-18 years, who had not yet complete high school. The analysis determined the role of marijuana use in adolescent school dropout…

Some specific opportunities and techniques are described for combining and integrating qualitative and quantitative methods from the design stage of a substance abuse program evaluation through implementation and reporting. The multiple problems and requirements of such an evaluation make integrated methods essential. (SLD)

Potential methods are explored for removing or otherwise controlling random measurement error, assessment artifacts, irrelevant variation in outcome measures, and confounding sources of covariation in a structural equations model. Using examples with measures of quality of life and functioning, the authors consider these methods for field…