Evaluating Three Methods for Helping Syringe Exchangers Begin Methadone Maintenance

This study will evaluate two alternative methods of inducting syringe exchange referrals into routine methadone treatment. The sample (N=390) will be opioid-dependent injection drug users referred by the Baltimore Needle Exchange Program (BNEP) for routine outpatient methadone treatment using a stepped care model. Subjects will be randomly assigned to one of three 3-month treatment induction conditions: 1) Low Threshold Stepped Care induction (LTSC), 2) Voucher-Based Stepped Care induction (VBSC), or 3) Routine Stepped-Care induction (RSC). The LTSC condition will noticeably reduce treatment demands on new admissions during the 90-day induction period and is conceptually related to an interim maintenance schedule. It is expected to increase patient recognition of the reinforcing effects and benefits of methadone, improve the transition to more comprehensive schedules of care, and increase early retention. The VBSC condition adds an attendance reinforcement intervention to the routine stepped care induction schedule over the first 90-days of treatment. It is expected to improve early treatment engagement and retention. Subjects in each of these conditions will transition to routine stepped-care (no voucher-based reinforcement) following the 90-day induction period. The RSC condition will serve as a comparison group and represents routine care in the program where the study will be conducted. All subjects will be followed for 6-months. Retention, drug use (via urinalysis and self-report), and other infectious disease risk behaviors (e.g., syringe sharing; number of injections) are the primary outcome measures. The proposed design will also test mediational models to evaluate changes in objective indices of engagement (methadone and counseling adherence) and psychological constructs (treatment readiness and satisfaction) as predictors of outcome. Regression models will be used to evaluate the amount of reduction of drug use necessary to effect varying amounts of change in HIV risk behavior. Finally, data will be collected and compared on the treatment costs of each induction strategy.

Inclusion criteria

• Participation in the Baltimore Needle Exchange Program (BNEP)
• Expressed interest in treatment with methadone.

Exclusion criteria

• Pregnancy
• Currently in a treatment program using methadone or other agonist medications
• Failure to meet DSM-IV criteria for opioid physical dependence and CSAT guidelines for long-term use of opioid agonist medications
• Presence of an acute medical problem that requires immediate and intense medical management (e.g., AIDS defining illness; tuberculosis; unstable diabetes, hypertension, and other problems)
• Presence of a formal thought disorder, delusions, hallucinations, or imminent risk of harm to self or others (symptoms commonly associated with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other major mental illnesses).