This is the listing on the webpage for the US Department of Health and Human Services - SAMSHA which now recognizes 12 step as a evidence based practice. This allowed federal funding for research using alcoholics as human subjects. During the George W. Bush administration this change took place and research was done with federal funding for 12 step AA based programs. This swung open the door to millions of dollars of federal funding to pay for AA program materials and for counselors to bill the federal government for their time and efforts doing this "research". How many of the participants realized that they were in a research study???
http://nrepp.samhsa.gov/ViewIntervention.aspx?id=55Twelve Step Facilitation TherapyDate of Review: January 2008
Twelve Step Facilitation Therapy (TSF) is a brief, structured, and manual-driven approach to facilitating early recovery from alcohol abuse, alcoholism, and other drug abuse and addiction problems. TSF is implemented with individual clients over 12 to 15 sessions. The intervention is based on the behavioral, spiritual, and cognitive principles of 12-step fellowships such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). These principles include acknowledging that willpower alone cannot achieve sustained sobriety, that surrender to the group conscience must replace self-centeredness, and that long-term recovery consists of a process of spiritual renewal. Therapy focuses on two general goals: (1) acceptance of the need for abstinence from alcohol and other drug use and (2) surrender, or the willingness to participate actively in 12-step fellowships as a means of sustaining sobriety. The TSF counselor assesses the client's alcohol or drug use, advocates abstinence, explains the basic 12-step concepts, and actively supports and facilitates initial involvement and ongoing participation in AA. The counselor also discusses specific readings from the AA/NA literature with the client, aids the client in using AA/NA resources in crisis times, and presents more advanced concepts such as moral inventories.
The Twelve Step Facilitation manual reviewed for this summary incorporates material originally developed for Project MATCH, an 8-year, national clinical trial of alcoholism treatment matching funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Project MATCH included two independent but parallel matching study arms, one with clients recruited from outpatient settings, the other with patients receiving aftercare treatment following inpatient care. Patients were randomly assigned to Twelve Step Facilitation, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, or Motivational Enhancement Therapy. Findings from Project MATCH are included in this summary.
Descriptive InformationAreas of Interest Substance abuse treatment
Outcomes 1: Percentage of days abstinent from alcohol
2: Adverse consequences of drinking
3: Combined assessment of drinking and drinking problems
4: Number of days before first drink/heavy drinking ("time to event")
5: Drinks per drinking day
6: Alcoholics Anonymous involvement
Outcome Categories Alcohol, Mental health, Social functioning, Treatment/recovery
Ages 18-25 (Young adult) or 26-55 (Adult)
Genders Male or Female
Races/Ethnicities Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, White, Race/ethnicity unspecified
Settings Inpatient or Outpatient
Geographic Locations Urban or Suburban
Implementation History The TSF approach has been widely used in treatment programs in all 50 States. It also has been implemented in Australia, Bermuda, Canada, Greece, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.
NIH Funding/CER Studies Partially/fully funded by National Institutes of Health: Yes
Evaluated in comparative effectiveness research studies: Yes
Adaptations Client handouts are available in Spanish.
Adverse Effects No adverse effects, concerns, or unintended consequences were identified by the applicant.
IOM Prevention Categories IOM prevention categories are not applicable.
