This report is an annual update for the period of January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010 of an evaluation project that was started in early 2001. The report provides previous year data comparisons for critical indicators.

At the time of registration, all guests are requested to complete a registration survey comprised of several domains including general demographics (i.e., age, gender, income, etc.), substance use, prior year health care access, prior year involvement in the legal system, mutual help participation, employment, and quality of life. This registration survey contains 53 questions consisting of checklists and Likert-type response scales with which respondents can indicate their level of agreement with statements (i.e., very great extent, great extent, some extent, little extent, or very little extent.)

Guests are requested to complete a satisfaction survey at the time of departure from The Retreat. This 23-question survey contains 20 questions with Likert-type scales covering the domains of satisfaction of facilities, assistance received, critical life-relationships, quality of life, and willingness to recommend The Retreat to others. The final three questions are open-ended seeking responses regarding the most helpful and least helpful experiences during their stay as well as requesting suggestions or comments for program improvement.

All guests are also invited by Retreat staff at the time of registration to participate in the longitudinal follow-up at six and twelve months following their eparture. Those who volunteer for this element of the program evaluation complete an informed consent to participate form and provide contact information to the evaluator. At six and twelve months post departure, guests are contacted to complete the survey. Contact is with a first class mailing of the survey first attempted by the contractor with up to two US Postal Service First 2 Class mailings. If the instruments are not returned, the evaluator then attempts telephone contact up to five times during different times and on different days. Failing this attempt, a contact person, identified by the guest, is contacted in an ttempt to locate the guest. For the report period, the six-month follow-up completion rate was 68.5% and the 12-month followup completion rate was 60.4% which re considered to be very good for the level of funding for the follow-up.

For the most part, the follow-up survey is a mirror of both the registration and departure satisfaction surveys containing the same questions; the form also includes additional questions regarding current drug use compared to drug use prior to their stay at The Retreat.

As with all annual reports, this should be considered an interim report of the key findings to date and viewed as dynamic with the expectation that changes over time will be seen. The report contains a discussion of the guest demographics, findings at departure, the impact of sober housing on recovery rates, as well as outcomes at six and twelve months.

This report is different than previous reports in that it reports previous year to current year instead of reporting current year compared to all previous years.