IRETA recently completed a program evaluation of the Level 3C Residential Drug and Alcohol Treatment Program at Renewal, Inc.
Located here in Pittsburgh, Renewal, Inc. is a nonprofit that provides alternative housing and community corrections services for individuals in Allegheny County, State of Pennsylvania, and Federal justice systems.
The main question the program evaluation sought to answer was whether Renewal clients have lower recidivism after their release compared with benchmark rates. We also examined the effect of Renewal, Inc. on treatment outcomes.
What we found (and as you might imagine), clients who complete the Renewal program have better outcomes in terms of re-arrest than those who don’t complete. But what’s really interesting is what happens next.
As it turns out, our results showed that where clients go after Renewal is especially important. That is, clients who are released to a supportive situation like community corrections are much less likely to be re-arrested than those who are released to their homes (1 in 7 versus 1 in 3). We believe that a big reason for this is treatment engagement. Clients who are released to community corrections are 1.5 times more likely to attend their first outpatient therapy appointment.
This suggests that after completing the program at Renewal, getting set up in treatment right away reaps big benefits down the road.
Infographic text
FACT: Completing the Drug & Alcohol Program at Renewal reduces a client’s change of re-arrest.
After one year, 1 in 3 clients who do not complete the program at Renewal will be re-arrested.
After one year, 1 in 4 clients who do complete the program will be re-arrested.
RE-ARREST RATES AMONG PROGRAM COMPLETERS:
OVERALL, about 1 in 4 who complete the program will be re-arrested within one year
THREE MAIN PLACES THAT PEOPLE GO AFTER COMPLETING THE D&A PROGRAM AT RENEWAL:
HOME: About 1 in 3 will be re-arrested within a year
TRANSITIONAL HOUSING: About 1 in 4 will re re-arrested within a year
COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS: About 1 in 7 will be re-arrested within a year
FACT: Going home after completing the Drug & Alcohol Program at Renewal reduces treatment engagement.
Clients who go to transitional housing or community corrections after completing the D&A program at Renewal are 1.5 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO ATTEND THEIR FIRST OUTPATIENT TREATMENT APPOINTMENT than clients who go home.
WHO WENT WHERE?
From 2011-2013, 46% of program completers went to community corrections, 32% percent went home, and 22% went to transitional housing.
Completing the program is important…but it’s just the first step!
