An Evaluation of the Community Recovery Program: A Case Management Approach to Assisting Individuals Recover from Substance Use and Incarceration

Successful community reintegration is an integral part of the recovery journey for individuals with a history of substance use and/or incarceration. However, many of these individuals face numerous difficulties when reintegrating into their community. The Community Recovery Program (CRP), based in Virginia, used a recovery oriented, case management approach to assist individuals reintegrate into the community by assisting in various areas (employment, education, housing, finances, mental health, physical health). Individuals that were at least 3 months sober or recently released from jail participated. The objective of this study was to evaluate CRP using case review data and interviews. Each participant was assigned a case manager and completed case reviews at the beginning of CRP and 12 months later. Case review data (N = 88) were analyzed using McNemar tests. All McNemar tests were statistically significant (p <.05), indicating significant changes in the proportion of participants in all areas of recovery from baseline to follow-up. Interviews with participants (N = 19) and stakeholder surveys (N = 34) were analyzed using thematic analysis. Participants discussed positive aspects of their lives because of involvement in CRP, such as financial stability and improved family relationships. Participants also discussed areas they are still struggling with, such as work-life balance. Stakeholders mentioned positive changes in the community because of CRP, such as strengthening awareness about services in community. Stakeholders also discussed challenges for CRP, such as lack of employment opportunities for participants. Overall, this study showed that CRP, with a case management approach, can help participants achieve their goals in multiple areas of recovery. © 2020, Springer Nature India Private Limited.