Academic skills of chronically unemployed drug-addicted adults

Abstract

BACKGROUND:The strong association between unemployment and drug addiction suggests that employment interventions are an important and needed focus of drug-addiction treatment. The increasing necessity of possessing basic academic skills to function in the workplace may require that some individuals receive educational training along with vocational training. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the academic skills of drug-addicted and chronically-unemployed adults (N = 559) who were enrolled in one of six studies conducted at the Center for Learning and Health in Baltimore, MD. METHODS: Upon study enrollment, academic skills in math, spelling, and reading were examined using the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT-3 or WRAT-4) and educational history was examined using the Addiction Severity Index-Lite. RESULTS: Although participants completed an average of 11 years of education, actual academic skill level was at or below the seventh grade level for 81% of participants in math, 61% in spelling, and 43% in reading, and most participants were classified as Low Average or below based on age group norms. Despite the fact that participants in this analysis were studied across several years and were from diverse populations, rates of high school completion and academic skill levels were remarkably similar. CONCLUSIONS: Programs designed to improve the long-term employment status of drug-addicted individuals may benefit from the inclusion of basic adult education; future research on the topic is needed. Although establishing basic skills does not directly address chronic unemployment, it may help individuals obtain the jobs they desire and function effectively in those jobs.

Behavior analysts in the war on poverty: Developing an operant antipoverty program.

“…These educational and skill levels are consistent with other populations who have participated in therapeutic workplace research (Holtyn, DeFulio, & Silverman, 2015). Figure 1 shows that a little over half of the participants (N=559) in 6 different studies conducted between 2001 and 2009 completed 12 or more years of education and about one third of participants completed between 9 and 11 years of education.…”

Reinforcing productivity in a job-skills training program for unemployed substance-abusing adults.

“…Holtyn, DeFulio, and Silverman (2015) analyzed academic performance of unemployed, drug-addicted adults across six studies. Most participants were at or below a seventh-grade level in reading, spelling, and math, despite the fact that 60% of participants reported completing high school.…”

Abstinence-contingent wage supplements to promote drug abstinence and employment: a randomised controlled trial

“…Moving most people out of poverty consistently will likely require promoting consistent employment in well-paying jobs. We suspect that we may achieve that goal best through the addition of education-focused interventions that seek to establish needed academic and job skills that might qualify individuals for consistent employment in well-paying jobs 28 29. If that is true, then approaches such as the stipend-supported computer-based training that we have provided using the software ATTAIN may be useful in establishing the needed skills 30 31…”