In the war on drugs, TCU's Institute of Behavioral Research provides innovative weapons
By Saedra Pinkerton, TCU Magazine
As the “war on drugs” battles through a third decade, jails are overcrowded and drugs more available than ever. In the federal system alone, drug offenders comprise more than half the inmate population.
Imprisoning drug users costs billions of tax dollars each year. Worse, those released from a traditional prison setting generally have limited skills for combating the problems that led them to abuse drugs in the first place. And extended exposure to other prisoners may have prepared them for a life of crime. Policymakers, health-care and criminal justice providers in many states now urge treatment instead of locking up drug users. Increasingly, these people are turning to TCU’s Institute of Behavioral Research (IBR) for answers.
Headed by Dwayne Simpson ‘70 (PhD), IBR is one of several institutions spearheading the nation’s drug treatment research. The institute has received $35 million in grants over the last 15 years -- roughly half of all federal grants garnered by the university. Most of the money has come from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and it apparently has been well-spent. Evidence gathered from IBR’s research has helped guide public funding for community-based treatment programs nationwide.
IBR researchers publish heavily, with more than 200 papers in professional journals and books. And their hands-on tools for professionals can be found on the institute’s award-winning Web site.
“We’ve made all of our research more user-friendly, giving flexibility to the practitioner,” Simpson said. “A counselor can pull something off the web, quickly review it, and begin working through it with a client. We offer prepackaged planning materials for communication skills, HIV health education and relapse prevention. And our material is unique, such as node-link mapping.”
As a graduate student, Simpson interviewed drug users in the large, prison-like facilities before the transition to community mental health centers. He eventually took over IBR, moving it to Texas A&M University for seven years. In 1989, TCU wooed Simpson back, and he shifted IBR to examining the treatment process.
“We asked, ‘How does treatment work?’ We developed a treatment process model, measuring motivation, engagement, early recovery, retention. It all fits together. A person’s chances increase significantly the longer he stays in treatment.”
In the early 1990s, sharing groundbreaking research was a lengthy endeavor. Then the Internet emerged and greatly speeded publishing and training.
“The Internet has been a key tool to make things happen the way we envisioned. Otherwise they can’t get stuff like this. It’s crucial,” Simpson said.
The success recently earned Simpson’s group the prestigious NIDA Merit Award. The award goes to only 1 percent of NIDA’s funded researchers and in this case, it provided for an additional five years of funding for IBR’s DATAR project.
The TCU Drug Screen is a five- to 10-minute assessment used by workers in the criminal justice system to determine the severity of drug use. Those with more severe problems can go to stand-alone facilities that emphasize building a therapeutic community where a user can feel safe and focus on therapy. There are fewer fights, fewer injuries, and security costs are much lower. Still, Simpson said, stand-alone programs are “a hard sell” in prisons.
“Our models help people understand that evidence shows this stuff works -- works,” Simpson said. “We use evidence-based practices, and our research shows that recidivism is higher for people who didn’t get help.”
One IBR program helps two generations at once. Developed for drug-dependent mothers seeking treatment at a Fort Worth shelter, the Partners in Parenting program now includes a manual for counselors with materials and instructions for leading an eight-session workshop for clients.
Many of the substance abusers exposed to IBR’s models begin treatment begrudgingly. Some are sentenced to treatment through a drug court. Others arrive through the traditional pathways in the criminal justice system. Motivation is a challenge. IBR’s Cognitive Enhancements for Treatment of Probationers team develops motivational tools to encourage participation.
One of those tools, called Downward Spiral, is a board game for a half-dozen players who assume the roles of people who continue to abuse drugs and alcohol. Players move through the game by rolling dice and drawing “chance” cards — real-life situations designed to shine a light on the health, family, legal, social and mental consequences of substance abuse.
Another game-like tool, Under Construction, helps clients reach their goals. Participants build a “Tower of Strengths” by selecting cards that describe current strengths and strengths they hope to have one day. A worksheet helps them visualize how to apply their strengths to help solve a problem in their life.
Other programs use guided imagery to help clients learn how to master relaxation and focusing techniques.
“Our programs are developed through methodical research,” Simpson said. “We have conducted many large-scale evaluations, and they show that treatment can work.”
