Research
Criminal Justice Addiction Services
"A national research project has recently been conducted in which Resocial Group (TM) has proven to be a successful substance abuse and cognitive behavioral intervention for adult felony offenders. As of August 2000 the following agencies/locations have been assessed: a private day reporting center in Indiana, a public probation office in West Virginia, and a private medium security prison and a private community corrections halfway house in Colorado. Of approximately 88 clients studied, 94% were male, 77% White, 11% Black and 11% Hispanic. 14 was the average group size. 90% of the clients attended a self help group, individual counseling and/or one or more other groups in addition to Resocial Group (TM). 83% of the clients were relapse free for the duration of group. 90% were arrest free for the duration of group. 76% were both relapse and arrest free for six months after completing the group. The outcome studies are ongoing. A goal is to track clients and measure success rates for at least 18 months after completing the group."
For more information about ordering this book (Second Printing 2003, 166 pp, Paperback, $39.95 plus $5.50 shipping, ISBN 0-9722147-1-2), please contact the publisher, PESI HealthCare LLC, about item #ZNM007295 at (800) 843-7763 (telephone) or (800) 675-5026 (fax).
"Kannenberg's fresh approach to treating psychoactive chemical abusing sociopaths should be in every counselor's arsenal when treating a client of this nature." Misti Storie, Education and Training Coordinator, Counselor Resources, "Reader's Corner," (NAADAC News, August 2005).
Top 10 Bestselling Book List of search by subject on Medicum.net 2005.
(Audiocassette/manual package also available from PESI.)
This book is also available at bordersstores.com, barnesandnoble.com, or amazon.com and at as many as 12 different online sellers in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and France. Prices vary tremendously if not ordered directly from PESI HealthCare, publisher.
For more information about ordering this book (New Release 2004, 166 pp, Paperback, $24.95 plus $5.50 shipping, ISBN 0-9722147-4-7), please contact the publisher, PESI HealthCare LLC, about item #ZNM008590 at (800) 843-7763 (telephone) or (800) 675-5026 (fax).
"Even if new to the profession or a seasoned veteran, this book is a helpful resource to all addiction counselors...An addiction treatment facility's library is not complete without this book." Misti Storie, Education and Training Coordinator, Counselor Resources, "Reader's Corner," (NAADAC News, August 2005).
(Audiocassette/manual package also available from PESI.)
This book is also available at bordersstores.com, barnesandnoble.com, or amazon.com and at as many as 12 different online sellers in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and France. Prices vary tremendously if not ordered directly from PESI HealthCare, publisher.
Copyright 1998-2008 Criminal Justice Addiction Services
Feedback from actual clients in group on May 10, 2000.
"What is your favorite aspect of Resocial Group (TM) and why?"
"Feedback, I think, from other people."
"Seeing how different people cope with
their responsibilities and the different emotions
that they have."
"My personal favorite is the goal topics that
gives you a chance to really think things through."
"I kind of like the role playing myself."
"Yea, I like the role playing. It's cool."
"What else would you like to say about Resocial Group (TM)?"
"I would like to say it's helped me with a lot of
thinking and taking time to stop before I make an
action, not always in every case, I am not perfect, I
make mistakes. And I am fortunate to still be involved.
But give yourself time to think about things,
especially if you have a family and children."
"It helps you, you know, communicate with other
people about your drug addictions or your
alcohol addictions, you know."
"Criminal behavior."
"Yea, criminal behavior. It's not easy to just sit here
in front of a bunch of people and say, "Well, I did
this, I did that, I did this. Resocial Group (TM) you
know, it's not like someone is always picking on
me, I want to know this, I want to know that,
you just ease into it."
"And there is this trust between each other with
confidentiality which I think is important."
"I think it's good that there's this class because, I
mean, like he was saying, the drugs and the alcohol.
The drugs and the alcohol are the end result, you
know, we got to get back to the behaviors that
drove us to use drugs and alcohol, you know, that's
where this stops at."
Research Update
"A fifth Resocial Group (TM) was studied in 2001 (the first graduating clients completed their six months on 12/26/01). The setting was a Substance Abuse Mental Illness (SAMI) Intensive Treatment Program (ITP) for adult males in Youngstown, Ohio. 80% of the clients were White and 20% were Black/African American. Based on standardized assessments used by the program, all had more than one Substance Use Disorder (SUD) (i.e., they had polysubstance abuse and dependence diagnoses) in addition to Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD). The minimum group size was 4. The maximum was 8. There was a single Resocial Group (TM) Certificated Facilitator who is employed as a counselor at a county chemical dependency program. None of the clients were terminated for non-compliance or dropped out of the group. All attended a self help group, individual counseling and/or another group while attending Resocial Group (TM) and all have been transferred to another group following the completion of Resocial Group (TM). 100% of the successful graduates were both relapse free and arrest free for the duration of group. The program uses random and periodic drug testing. The facilitator said that she enjoyed using all of the techniques but that goal setting was her favorite because "The men seemed to think the hardest on this one." Her only suggestion for modifications or changes was that there wasn't always enough room for the clients to write the topics on the 'Choosing Partners and Companions' worksheet. One of her clients made the following comment: "What this (does) is get us back to using our brains!" The facilitator has been asked to track the same clients at six months, nine months, twelve months and eighteen months after completing the group."
"A sixth Resocial Group (TM) at a mental health center in Wadesboro, North Carolina was assessed from August 2001 to January 2002, however, the statistics involving these 15 clients, favorable or not, cannot be used. The facilitator at this agency admitted numerous clients who did not meet the required coexisting diagnostic criteria of APD and SUD. (All of the clients had a past or present alcohol and/or other drug abuse and/or dependence, but many were enrolled with Adult Antisocial Behavior instead of the other required diagnosis of APD.) Enforcement of admission criteria is important so that the treatment is both appropriate and necessary and clients are not harmed clinically or financially by being placed in the wrong intervention. The copyright and trademark release form clearly discusses this issue. The Certificated Facilitator of Resocial Group (TM) was reminded that the group was designed for a specific population of adult offenders with APD and SUD and the research and treatment involving other diagnostic categories has not been conducted. (Adult Antisocial Behavior is antisocial behavior but it is not due to a mental disorder such as APD, Conduct Disorder or an Impulse-Control Disorder.) The facilitator was still paid the $10 stipend for completing the 30-item questionnaire."
"A seventh Resocial Group (TM) was studied from April 2001 to October 2001. The location is Advantage Treatment Center in Denver, Colorado. Advantage functions as a day reporting center and outpatient program, and is owned and operated by Independence House, a community corrections agency that is designated as an alcohol and drug abuse treatment facility by the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division of the Colorado Department of Human Services. The facilitator is the author working as an independent contract therapist with Social Solutions Corporation. This is the first known group with a variety of clients mixed together (diversion halfway house residents from Independence House, diversion nonresidents from Independence House, transition halfway house residents from Independence House and other Denver area residential facilities, Treatment Accountability for Safer Communities clients, Colorado Department of Corrections parolees, and Colorado Department of Corrections ISP inmates). (Municipal Court and District Attorney Diversion Program clients are now being accepted as well.) Most of the clients have had numerous treatment failures in traditional therapy programs. The group is coed. It meets weekly from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. on Mondays. Because of numerous referrals in the past with a waiting list to start attending, a second group was started at the same location by another Certificated Facilitator of Resocial Group (TM). 24 clients attended during this six-month period specified above. 21 (88%) were relapse free (i.e., only 3 clients had positive urine drug screen or breath test results) during their attendance; and 19 (79%) were arrest free (i.e., only 5 clients absconded, escaped, had probation revoked or were reincarcerated). 8 (33%) graduated from the group (i.e., completed 24 or more sessions successfully); 5 (21%) were terminated from the group for non-attendance (i.e., they missed more than three sessions) [Only three absences are allowed during the six months of Resocial Group (TM). Clients are automatically terminated on the fourth absence. There is no differentiation between excused and unexcused absences. The group also has a zero tolerance policy regarding tardiness (i.e., clients must be exactly on time). If a client is even a minute late, he or she is not allowed to stay and it counts as an absence.]; 5 (21%) were terminated from the group because they were no longer in community corrections due to probation/parole violations or resident/nonresident violations; 3 (13%) are currently in compliance and still in the group; and 3 (13%) were transferred because it was determined that they were clinically or financially inappropriate after they started attending. All graduates completed written, thirty-item satisfaction surveys. Word for word answers to three of the questions are seen below. Responses have been edited for spelling and punctuation only for the reason of readability."
"What is your favorite aspect of Resocial Group (TM) and why?"
"The favorite aspects I've had are teaching me
goal setting and responsibility."
"The role play is my favorite."
"Goal setting because I like to see what I'm going
to accomplish on paper."
"Sociodrama- it increases my understanding of
myself and others."
"The general discussions and role playing. Role
playing usually lightens things up. It is entertaining
and very insightful. People express a lot of very
clear and deep-seated feelings. Thoughts are
projected truthfully."
"Well, I really like role training because you get
to act out your situation. I like acting."
"Goal setting. Allows me to shoot for something,
accomplishment."
"Role rehearsal, because it gives me the
opportunity to be open and make people
laugh."
"How does this group compare with other counseling or therapy?"
"Honestly, it doesn't. You have to be a major
factor in this course. It is all about me (you)."
"This group compares with other counseling
and therapy in that it helps deal with behavioral
and substance abuse problems."
"Most groups are basically the same but this
group offers role playing and role reversals and
showing one's feelings in certain situations."
"It is a lot harder. You have to pay attention
better and you can't just coast through it."
"Just about even."
"I think this group allows us to open up much
more FREELY. I have learned to enjoy our
discussions. We have all learned to express
ourselves in a positive perspective."
"Well, they're pretty much the same but Rand
doesn't go for the bull stuff at all."
"This group was better for me than others
because I wasn't too much a participant in
other groups. Other groups had too many
people or just didn't care."
"What else would you like to say about Resocial Group (TM)?"
"It is a real help if you let it be. You can learn
some good things to help yourself, family and
friends with real life situations."
"The group has stirred some real emotions in
myself. I've learned to admire how people can
face up to some really hard situations and remain
positive. Compared to some of the other difficult
domestic problems, mine have been light. I think
that people in this class have given me some very
VALUABLE solutions to my problems. I appreciate
their patience in listening to my unending 'soap
opera' problems. I think that Rand is a very good
leader and truly does care about our problems. I'm
not saying this to suck up or anything, I really mean
it. I think this has been a good class and he has
helped me in thinking about and facing my problems."
"Resocial Group (TM) is a group that can be taken...
much is to be learned in this group and it is a good
group."
"This group is a real eye opener. It grabs you at
first and it's kinda cool. This group really does make
you think a lot before you act. Rand is a good
teacher, kinda weird sense of humor, but he's a
good guy."
"This survey has covered about everything."
"I feel I can get a lot out of Resocial Group (TM)
if each person gives his/her opinions and sits
and listens to see what's going on with others."
"It's been a long six months and I think I have
successfully completed a course beyond most,
and am glad it is now behind me."
"I would like to thank all those who were so
patient, understanding and lenient with me when
things weren't going too good for me. I would
also like to thank Rand for all the knowledge and
wisdom. It was, is, and always will be greatly
appreciated."
Five (5) other clients successfully completed this group this year and two (2) more are scheduled to graduate this month. A recent (January 2002) graduate of Resocial Group (TM) (a DOC ISP client from the Northeast Parole Office and TASC program in Westminster, Colorado) had the following to say about the program offered through Social Solutions Corporation at Advantage Treatment Center in Denver. His favorite aspect of the group is "goal setting and charts. The charts give me insight to my behaviors and hope for positive change. Goal setting gives me incentive to make positive change." "It compares favorably (to other groups) in that it helps clients gain some type of understanding as to the 'hows' and 'whys' of their behavior and the opportunity to change for the better." His least favorite aspect is "(attendance, because) it takes too long and we are unable to associate while it is being taken." "I understand the time limitations but I would like to see a little more time reserved for open discussion." One of his peers who graduated a couple of weeks later (also a DOC ISP inmate, but from the Englewood Parole Office in Colorado) said, "It is a group for people whom have antisocial behaviors and substance abuse problems and learn how to replace these behaviors with effective alternatives (by) unlearning and relearning." "It has helped me to get insight of a lot of my past events and to understand myself better, to discover active alternatives (and) learn and practice new skills." "The other groups I have been in don't or haven't dealt in diagramming of relationships, role exploration or goal setting." He also stated, "I think our instructor should have a one on one once a month with us." "It has helped in giving me a better understanding about my behavior patterns and how to deal with them in a different perspective."
A one (1) year outcome study involved an eighth group at Social Solutions Corporation/CSC in Adams County, Colorado (from 3/31/03-3/29/04): Clients who attended at least 1 session: 40. Male: 39 (98%); Female: 1 (2%). Referred by TASC: 17 (43%); DOC: 6 (15%); private halfway house: 11 (28%); other: 6 (15%). Clients currently attending group successfully: 12 (30%); Clients who completed group successfully: 7 (18%). Clients discharged from group unsuccessfully because of relapse: 0 (0%); Clients discharged from group unsuccessfully because of rearrest: 5 (13%); Clients discharged from group unsuccessfully because of noncompliance with group attendance policy: 10 (25%)*; Clients discharged from group for other reasons: 6 (15%). *This high rate of terminations for nonattendance, is due, at least in part, to the group moving more than 10 miles to a different location for administrative contract reasons, and some clients and/or their referring agents not supporting the change because of an understandable inconvenience due to distance of travel.
Copyright 1998-2008 Criminal Justice Addiction Services
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Copyright 1998-2008 Rand L. Kannenberg (Last update 2/08.)
Criminal Justice Addiction Services
7475 W. 5th Ave. #150 F
Lakewood, CO 80226-1673 USA
(303) 232-0767 (Voice/Fax)
rtkannenberg@juno.com (E-mail)
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