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Network Therapy

An Evidence-Based Practice

Description

Network Therapy is a substance-abuse treatment approach that engages members of the patient's social support network to support abstinence. Key elements of the approach are: (1) a cognitive-behavioral approach to relapse prevention in which patients learn about cues that can trigger relapse and behavioral strategies for avoiding relapse; (2) support from the patient's natural social network; and (3) community reinforcement techniques engaging resources in the social environment to support abstinence. Network Therapy patients typically participate in outpatient treatment twice per week for 12-24 weeks. The patient participates in weekly individual therapy sessions and weekly sessions attended by network members approved by the therapist. Patients agree to contingency contracts agreeing to aversive consequences if they use targeted drugs. Some practitioners ask patients to submit urine samples for testing.

Goal / Mission

The goal of this program is to effectively treat substance abuse by using the patient's social support network to support abstinence.

Impact

Among Network Therapy clients, 64.5% of all samples submitted were negative for opioids, compared with 45.3% of all samples submitted by medication maintenance clients. Furthermore, 88% of urine samples were negative for cocaine for Network Therapy participants, compared with 66% of urine samples collected from treatment-as-usual clients.

Results / Accomplishments

The intervention has been implemented in multiple clinical settings since 1993. For opiate use, a randomized controlled trial compared 33 Network Therapy clients who also received buprenorphine maintenance with 33 clients who only received buprenorphine maintenance and individual therapy. All clients submitted weekly urine samples. Among Network Therapy clients, 64.5% (SD = 32.3) of all samples submitted were negative for opioids, compared with 45.3% (SD = 39.7) of all samples submitted by medication maintenance clients (p < 0.05). The number of opiate-free urine samples correlated significantly with the number of Network Therapy sessions (p < 0.05). Network Therapy clients also were more likely than control clients to submit negative urine samples at their last three sessions (50% vs. 23%, p < 0.05).

Another study compared Network Therapy with treatment as usual over 6-12 months of treatment. Among Network Therapy clients, 88% of 107 urine samples were negative for cocaine, compared with 66% of 82 urine samples collected from 20 treatment-as-usual clients (p < 0.0003).

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
New York University School of Medicine
Primary Contact
Marc Galanter
462 First Avenue
New York, NY 10016
212-263-6960
Marc.Galanter@nyumc.org
http://www.med.nyu.edu/biosketch/mg50
Topics
Health / Alcohol & Drug Use
Health / Mental Health & Mental Disorders
Organization(s)
New York University School of Medicine
Source
SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP)
Date of publication
Feb 2004
Date of implementation
1993
Location
New York, NY
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