Evidence-based Treatment and Responsivity: Individual and Program Predictors of Treatment Outcomes during Adolescent Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment and Juvenile Drug Court

• In Event: Building promising scholars of the future: NIJ’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program in the Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

This study was funded by NIJ’s Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) program. The purpose of this dissertation study was to expand on the understanding of the responsivity principle, one of the core principles of the Risk-Need-Responsivity model. To date, the responsivity principle remains understudied, not only in its explication, but also in its impact on treatment outcome. This dissertation measured responsivity adherence using the criteria described in the Psychology of Criminal Conduct by Andrews and Bonta (2010). Adherence was examined at the individual- and program-level in adolescent outpatient substance abuse treatment programs and juvenile drug court. Receiving funding for this topic through the GRF program has been extremely helpful in the further elaboration of this dissertation topic for future research, and developing the skills for grant writing and managing a research study.

Author

• Liana Taylor, George Mason University