Developing a realist theory of community-based residential substance use treatment

Community-based residential treatments for substance use disorders (SUDs) have mixed effectiveness, which has been hypothesized to be due to the variability of program offerings across treatments. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to develop a realist program theory of a community-based residential treatment centre to understand which components of treatment are most effective, who benefits from treatment, and why. The study was completed in collaboration with a community-based residential treatment program located in Canada. A realist evaluation was conducted using qualitative interviews (N = 27) with program stakeholders. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify Context-Mechanism-Outcome (CMO) configurations that create the program theory. The analysis identified an overarching organizational context and 11 CMO configurations that comprise the program theory. The CMOs were grouped into three themes (i.e. relational, psychological, and diversity), underscoring the multiple pathways in which recovery is achieved for individuals with SUDs. Across the themes, the importance of building peer recovery relationships, creating structure, and inter-agency collaborations were highlighted. The results of the present study offer a contribution to the literature in understanding how, why, and for whom community-based residential treatment for SUDs is effective while offering specific recommendations to best tailor treatments to individuals.