THE IMPACT OF ABSENTEEISM POLICY INTERVENTIONS ON ADULT DRUG TREATMENT COURT OUTCOMES

Participants in Drug Treatment Courts (DTC) often fail to attend the treatment services, which hinders the behavioral changes that the DTC and participants aim to achieve. This study uses a systemic purposive sampling of 176 high-risk high-needs participants in the Rockingham Harrisonburg Drug Treatment Court (RHDTCP) over a 15-month period. We analyzed the impact of an absenteeism policy on absences and program outcomes using an inquiry mode, an explanatory research design, and a quantitative analysis methodology approach to provide empirical support for our research findings. The study also examines the individual subgroup absences and their effect on program outcomes. Since there is limited research on absenteeism policies in DTCs, this study uses a healthcare study on potential barriers to attending treatment for comparison. The findings suggest that implementing an attendance policy significantly reduces the number of participant absences from treatment. However, there are other factors, such as employment, housing, substance abuse, mental health, and absences, that negatively impact DTC participant graduation. Further research is necessary to address the barriers to attending DTCs, including "Can't Go, Won't Go, Don't Know," to increase the success rates of Drug Treatment Courts and support participants in their journey toward successful recovery from addiction. We recommend that DTCs mitigate absences by implementing an absenteeism policy that contains specific consequences for non- compliance, is reviewed frequently with participants, and is accessible in all formats and languages.