Evidenced-Based Quantitative Success Rates of CCFA Programs
The success rates of CCFA addiction treatment programs using evidence-based Rehabilitation Wellness Inventory and the impressive results achieved by clients.A question that is often asked when seeking out an effective addiction treatment program is, “What is the success rate?”.
It is a critically important question but also quite complex. Fortunately, there are ways to get answers and the first step is to define what is meant by “success”.
The definition can vary greatly between individuals, families, and even health professionals. Many agencies and organizations will communicate “success rates” while never even defining what success is, much less bother with any accepted scientific methodologies that constitute an evidence-based study. The Canadian Centre for Addictions has a commitment to be a leader in the field and to change this misleading trend. We started first with a broad and inclusive definition that would resonate with the vast majority of people. CCFA wanted a definition that would lead to very specific action steps. CCFA required both qualitative and quantitative measures of success. CCFA wanted to ensure that both staff and residents would have clear, transparent, and simple processes to implement.
CCFA defines success as ‘the progressive realization of a worthwhile goal’.
While the first goal for every resident is sobriety as a starting point, CCFA acknowledges that clients will then establish many other goals in their journey of sobriety. Our treatment team takes pride in listening carefully to clients and providing professional services that are uniquely tailored to each client.
CCFA has succeeded in developing a rigorous, scientific, and evidence-based method to provide a quantitative measure of efficacy and success.
This was accomplished by hiring a registered psychologist who also has expertise in program evaluation and statistical analyses. Starting in 2018, CCFA began working with Dr. Jonathan Siegel, Psychologist, on standardizing a process that would serve as an effective, evidence-based method to measure program effectiveness.
Through iterations of CCFA’s rigorous testing, measuring factors of Anxiety and Depression, and surveying self-reported symptoms at the beginning of addiction treatment, Dr Siegel and his professional team continued to analyze standard inventories and collected data until they identified a most effective tool to measure both effectiveness as well as individual and cumulative success rates.
These statistical reports are available to every resident that completes an inpatient residential addiction program at the Canadian Centre For Addictions.
With the signed consent by clients and agreement of confidentiality, CCFA collected clinically relevant data and put it through scientific statistical analysis.
Over a three-year period analyzing collected data, Dr Siegel and associates developed an inventory called the Rehabilitation Wellness Inventory (RWI).
This inventory is administered at the beginning and the completion of programming. The inventory consists of fifty items, a validity scale, as well as five subscales (and
a total score). The items are targeted to identify those issues and factors that have the greatest impact towards influencing success of those suffering from issues of addiction.
Evidence-based research and statistical analysis over an 18-month sample demonstrated that 94.9% of all residents who completed CCFA’s addiction program made significant overall improvement.
Statistical analyses were conducted using a repeated measures ‘t’ test (where data was normally distributed) and a Wilcoxin parametric test (where data was not normally distributed. Both detailed descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were applied. Of note, it generally takes residents a maximum of 10 minutes to complete the RWI. The test meets scientific criteria for reliability (coefficient alpha is over 0.90) and has been automated so that reports can be generated in real time. The information generated by the RWI provides crucial information for both treatment planning at the outset and at discharge. In addition to the qualitative information gathered by treatment staff, CCFA now also has standardized, objective data to evaluate program effectiveness.
Below are the subscales of the Rehabilitation Wellness Inventory
• Health and Lifestyle (scale includes 10 items related to eating, sleep, hygiene and healthy living habits) • Self-Esteem (scale includes 12 items related to self esteem and self-confidence) • Interpersonal Skills (scale includes 12 items with regard to individual feelings and relationships with others) • Depressed Mood (scale includes items related to feelings such as extreme unhappiness, sadness, loneliness, lack of personal significance, a poor self-concept, and a discouraged outlook on life) • Anxiety (scale includes 7 items reflecting upon word, fear and related symptoms)Summary & Conclusion
The Canadian Centre for Addictions (CCFA) has implemented a reliable and valid measure (The Rehabilitation Wellness Inventory) to provide empirical evidence demonstrating the overall effectiveness of the CCFA program. Evidence-based research and statistical analysis over an 18-month sample shows that 94.9% of all residents who completed CCFA’s addiction program made significant overall improvement.
