Methadone and buprenorphine/naloxone are medication assisted treatment (MAT) options for treating opioid use disorder, yet attitudes regarding their use within abstinence-based recovery homes have not been assessed. The present investigation examined attitudes regarding MAT utilization among residents living in Oxford Houses. This cross-sectional investigation compared residents (n = 87) receiving MAT whose recent drug use involved opioids, and two groups not receiving MATs; those who had used opioids and those who had used substances other than opioids. The vast majority of residents were not receiving MAT, yet 32% reported MAT histories. Negative attitudes regarding MAT were observed among residents who were not receiving MAT. Those presently receiving MAT reported mixed attitudes regarding the use of methadone and buprenorphine/naloxone, and two of these residents reported they had never been prescribed MAT. Findings suggest that abstinence-based recovery homes such as Oxford Houses may not be optimal resources for persons receiving MATs.
This exploratory study aimed to understand how veterans' social identity influenced their experiences living in Oxford Houses (OH)-the largest network of substance use recovery homes in the United States. We conducted three focus groups, with 20 veterans who were current or former OH residents. Thematic analysis revealed several ways in which participants' veteran identity influenced their experiences living in OH, including: (1) thriving through OH organizational similarities with the military, (2) relationships with other OH residents, and (3) and growth and reintegration. The themes were interpreted using the Social Identity Theory and the Social Identity Model of Identity Change perspectives. Social identity processes were found to play an influential role in veterans' experiences in their recovery homes and reintegration into civilian life. Findings highlight the importance of veterans developing a community within a culturally congruent setting to facilitate their recovery from substance use disorders and adjustment to life post-military service.
Cite this articleCallahan S, Siegel J, Wiedbusch E, et al. The utility of criminal history questions in community psychology program applications.
ABSTRACTCopyright 2018 by Jason LA. This is an open-access article distributed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which allows to copy, redistribute, remix, transform, and reproduce in any medium or format, even commercially, provided the original work is properly cited.cc Aim Access to higher education is a valuable protective factor against recidivism. Unfortunately, there are many obstacles criminal justice involved individuals need to overcome to further their education. This study examined universities with community psychology programs in order to assess: a) the extent of requests for an applicant's criminal history, and b) whether asking these questions had any effect on rates of crimes.
MethodWe compared the crime rates for institutions that did and did not ask about an applicant's past involvement with the criminal justice system.
ResultsNo statistically significant differences in reported crimes were observed between those academic settings that asked or did not ask for this information.
ConclusionOur study suggests that criminal background checks do not support safety concerns as the reason for continuing to request this personal information on applications. These types of stigma-inducing and intrusive questions conflict with the values of community psychology.
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