Presenter Information
Cassie DiBenedetti, Data Science
Kate Rosello, Mathematics B.S.
Abstract
Auberle social services is opening the Family Healing Center (FHC), a level 3.5 treatment program in Pittsburgh, PA that provides housing and 24-hour support for families struggling with opioid addiction. We partnered with Auberle to study characteristics of individuals receiving level 3.5 treatment and to determine whether longer treatment lengths correlate with fewer adverse outcomes. We obtained data from the Allegheny County Department of Human Services on 2,016 individuals admitted to level 3.5 treatment in 2019. The data included birth year, race, gender, admittance date, discharge date, and Children Youth and Family (CYF) incidents before and after treatment. We categorized the population into three groups based on length of treatment (<14, 14-30, and 30+ days). We applied statistical tests to determine significant demographic differences between the groups. Additionally, we measured the impact of treatment in each group by examining the change in CYF incidents before and after treatment. Results show that the average age of individuals in each group increased with treatment length. The group that persisted in treatment 30+ days contained a higher percentage of Black/African American individuals (33%) than the other two groups (22-23%). We found that the frequency of CYF cases decreased after treatment across all groups, with the largest decrease observed in the group with 30+ days of treatment. Additionally, we observed that the frequency of CYF placements after treatment decreased as treatment length increased. These results will help Auberle better understand characteristics of individuals served by the FHC and demonstrate the positive impact of persistence in a treatment program.
School
McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts
Advisor
Dr. Rachel Miller Neilan
Submission Type
Paper
Publication Date
April 2022
Impact of Treatment Length on Individuals with Substance Use Disorders in Allegheny County
Auberle social services is opening the Family Healing Center (FHC), a level 3.5 treatment program in Pittsburgh, PA that provides housing and 24-hour support for families struggling with opioid addiction. We partnered with Auberle to study characteristics of individuals receiving level 3.5 treatment and to determine whether longer treatment lengths correlate with fewer adverse outcomes. We obtained data from the Allegheny County Department of Human Services on 2,016 individuals admitted to level 3.5 treatment in 2019. The data included birth year, race, gender, admittance date, discharge date, and Children Youth and Family (CYF) incidents before and after treatment. We categorized the population into three groups based on length of treatment (<14, 14-30, and 30+ days). We applied statistical tests to determine significant demographic differences between the groups. Additionally, we measured the impact of treatment in each group by examining the change in CYF incidents before and after treatment. Results show that the average age of individuals in each group increased with treatment length. The group that persisted in treatment 30+ days contained a higher percentage of Black/African American individuals (33%) than the other two groups (22-23%). We found that the frequency of CYF cases decreased after treatment across all groups, with the largest decrease observed in the group with 30+ days of treatment. Additionally, we observed that the frequency of CYF placements after treatment decreased as treatment length increased. These results will help Auberle better understand characteristics of individuals served by the FHC and demonstrate the positive impact of persistence in a treatment program.