The two optional procedures were referrals for further substance abuse
treatment services if relapse occurred and referrals for mental
health services if emotional and/or behavioral difficulties were
reported. Consistent with the goals of ACC, volunteers reached
out to adolescents to schedule and hold the first telephone session
within two weeks of discharge from their index treatment episode.
Once telephone sessions began, volunteers guided adolescents to
create goals that were positive, specific, brief, and under their
control to complete. Volunteers also explored potential barriers
to completing homework goals to overcome practical issues,
such as problems with transportation or negative mood states.
Telephone callswere typically 15 minutes or less in length. Text
messaging was used to remind adolescents of upcoming calls and
to encourage them to answer their phones. On rare occasions,
texting sessions were completed at an adolescent’s request. The
goal during the recovery support call phase was to complete
sessions with adolescents once per week during the first 90
days after discharge. The frequency of contacts after that time
varied depending on adolescents’ functioning and preference.
For example, a decrease in calls may have been triggered when
adolescents reported an extended period of abstinence or when
adolescents asked volunteers to do so, and an increase in call
frequency may have been triggered by a relapse, worsening of
existing problems, or the emergence of new problems.