SUPPORTING RECOVERY IN THE COMMUNITY: SIX-MONTH OUTCOMES OF CLIENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE PHOENIX HOUSE BRONX COMMUNITY RECOVERY CENTER (BCRC): Phoenix House Recovery Center Outcomes

Community recovery centers (CRCs) have the potential to be an important component in the substance abuse continuum of care, yet we lack data on their effectiveness. This study examines the 6-month outcomes of 260 clients participating in the Phoenix House Bronx Community recovery Center (BCRC). At follow-up, clients were significantly less likely to report substance use (odds ratio [OR] = 0.4, p = 0.002) and showed improvements on a variety of other psychosocial domains as well. Fewer clients were also using formal inpatient (OR = 0.3, p < 0.001) and outpatient substance abuse treatment services at follow-up (OR = 0.5, p = 0.011). These data provide preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of recovery centers to sustain abstinence, enhance recovery capital, and curtail the use of formal, more expensive substance abuse treatment. Additional studies documenting the type and amount of services received in recovery centers, randomized trials of referrals to recovery centers and referral as usual, and studies of cost-effectiveness are needed.