Recognizing one’s addiction is the first step towards healing. It may be the most difficult thing to decide for some clients. But once you are brave enough to do so, the next step is to put measures in place to prevent you from cycling backwards. However, it is inevitable to feel overwhelmed or anxious when the urge is hard to control and you lack motivation. This is where contingency management intervention might help you.
What is an example of a contingency management intervention for substance abuse treatment? How do authorities apply this method to encourage positive behaviors? How effective is it in drug addiction treatment? Let us dive deeper into this topic in this article.
What is Contingency Management Intervention?
In general, a contingency management intervention (CM treatment) is an approach that is used to help individuals who are struggling with their negative behavior. It can be used in a variety of settings, including schools, workplaces, and rehabilitation centers. There are many different types of contingency management interventions, but all of them share the same goal: to help people change their behavior for the better.
What is an example of a contingency management intervention? When a parent wishes the child overcome specific negative behaviors, conventionally, the change is being promoted by giving him/her a chance to earn rewards whenever they successfully manage to exhibit the opposite desired behavior. This is a simple example of contingency management intervention that I am sure you can relate to. This is supported by the principle of operant conditioning. The likeliness of a positive behavior is being increased by following it through with a pleasurable experience. Some people coin it as the carrot and stick
Generally, contingency management works and has long been supported by by psychiatrists and behavioral therapists. It is even incorporated in national institute treatment programs addressing issues of national importance like substance abuse. Motivational incentives are being given to citizens who are fighting drug and alcohol dependence by being consistent in their treatment plan. Such programs has shown increasing treatment retention.
The principles in implementing CMs
CMs has been widely used as a government program to implement positive and supportive manner of treating drug abuse. National institutes consider these eight principles in order to effectively encourage desired behaviors.
- Objective behavior. The first issue aims at the identification of targeted behaviors. Although the targeted audience are all guilty of substance abuse, the behaviors may differ. The intervention should, therefore, be able to target individuals with precision so that it is not a one size fits all approach.
- Definitive behavior change. You cannot fudge results with CMs. There should be a way of measuring the targeted behaviors either through direct observation or some form of self-report. This positive target behavior may include compliance with session goals, striving for sobriety objectives, and building the appropriate relationship.
- Choosing your target demographics. An in-depth knowledge of your target population must be met. The target groupings should be based on the level of risk, demographics, culture and stage of change. This criterion is important because what would work for one person might not work as well for another person.
- Choosing the appropriate reward. This is what motivates the individual to change their behavior. The rewards must be something that the person values, and it should be given immediately after the positive behavior has been exhibited. The use of punishment or negative consequence should be minimized if not eliminated. This is counterproductive as it would only lead to resentment and negative feelings towards the treatment program or therapist.
- Budget and resource limitation. Programs must consider what is affordable and what is available to them. How to manage contingent workforce and other resources? The rewards do not have to be expensive, but they must hold value for the person receiving it. The scale to which the assistance is also affected by being able to maximize your budget.
- Regularity of reward. This principle is important as it helps maintain the positive behavior already exhibited. The rewards should be given consistently and not randomly.
- The immediacy of the reward. The better the contingency management intervention is, the more immediate the reward should be. There should be no delay between the positive behavior and the receipt of the reward.
- Measurement of objective outcomes. This principle requires that clinicians or researchers track the targeted behaviors before and after the intervention has been administered. This will help determine if there was any change in behavior after
The treatment providers answering what is an example of a contingency management intervention considers the factors discussed to effectively present itself as a treatment option for substance abuse.
Variations of Contingency Management
There are 2 types of CCM programs: voucher-based reinforcement and incentive prize management. In the VBR, recovering persons receive a voucher per urine sample containing no abused drug or substance. Initial value is small. As time goes by a higher value is created to increase the desire for samples and to demonstrate that tests can be clean. Once sufficient vouchers are collected, these can be exchanged for useful products, food or activity. This reward has a significant benefit in helping promote active and healthy drugfree living.
IPM is a more recent development and has been found to be much more lucrative. In this system, people are given the chance to win prizes for meeting predetermined goals. The higher the goal, the greater the prize. This type of system offers immediate gratification, which can be very motivating. There are many different types of rewards that can be used, such as cash, cars, vacations, and even the chance to meet celebrities.
Both of these systems have been found to be very successful in terms of promoting positive behaviors and reducing substance abuse. Clinicians and researchers continue to study different ways that these interventions can be improved and made more effective for those struggling with addiction.
Contingency management and substance use
Contingency management has a strong reputation in the treatment of substance use disorders. What is an example of a contingency management intervention tackling substance abuse? In the USA, the most common contingency management intervention for drug abuse is the use of vouchers. Participants receive a voucher for every drug free urine sample, which can be exchanged for goods or services at a later time. This system has been found to be very successful in terms of promoting positive behaviors and reducing substance abuse.
Another addiction treatment program answering what is an example of a contingency management intervention in UK is the incentive program paying heroin addicts who are getting clean. People also get shopping vouchers and cash payments as rewards for being consistent in treatment attendance and remaining clean of drugs. A study on this kind of program showed that a majority of those who received rewards were still heroin-free after six months, as opposed to only a third of the control group.
Barriers and criticisms
Not all may agree with the programs cited to answer what is an example of a contingency management intervention. Critics say that the programs are expensive and that some people may take advantage of the system. There is also a concern that rewards may not be motivating for everyone. Some people may view vouchers or prizes as being less valuable than what is offered, which could lead to them discontinuing participation in the program.
The retention rate for staying clean even after the contingency management intervention programs have ended is also a concern for some. In a sense, it is as if asking what is contingency plan in project management if the client encounters a sudden hindrance in staying clean? It is important that those who complete the program are able to maintain their sobriety even after rewards are no longer given. At this point, the treatment approaches must be complement with relapse prevention strategies.
Another negative reputation of CM treatment is what is called “voucher chasing” where participants try to game the system by producing false negatives in order to receive more vouchers. What is a contingency plan in risk management for this kind of modus?
Despite these criticisms, contingency management interventions have been shown to be very effective at promoting positive behaviors and reducing substance abuse. Clinicians and researchers continue to study different ways that these interventions can be improved and made more effective for those struggling with addiction.
Factors affecting results of CM treatment
One of the things contingency management interventions have in common is that they tend to be very individualized. What works for one person may not work for another, and what is an example of a contingency management intervention needs to be tailored to fit the person’s needs. This makes it difficult to make generalizations about the success of these interventions.
Some of the factors that can affect how successful a contingency management intervention will be include:
-The type of addiction
-The severity of the addiction
-How motivated the person is to change their behavior
-The availability and quality of support services
-Environmental factors, such as stress levels or access to drugs/alcohol
The interventionist will consider these and other factors when creating your treatment plan.
Future of Contingency Management Incentive Programs
It is clear that contingency management interventions are here to stay. They have been shown to be very effective in a variety of settings and populations. As researchers learn more about what motivates people and how best to incentive positive behaviors, the use of contingency management will continue to grow.
It is exciting to think about all the ways that these interventions can help people change for a drug free lifestyle. Currently, behavioral therapist are looking into using smartphone apps as a way to administer contingency management interventions. This would allow for real-time tracking of behaviors and could help to increase the effectiveness of these programs.
How to join contingency management incentive intervention programs
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, it is important to seek help. There are many different types of interventions that can be effective, depending on the person’s needs.
If you are interested in learning more about contingency management interventions, please contact your local behavioral health clinic. They will be able to provide information on what programs are recommended for your specific condition.
The bottomline
The answer to what is an example of a contingency management incentive intervention can be sited from personal scale to organizational scale, with examples ranging from treating your own self from successfully avoiding cramming your deadlines to national policies rewarding citizens submitting drug free urine samples to prove drug abstinence. Though there are still critics against this type of behavioral therapy, empirical research thus far supports the contention that well-designed contingency management interventions are highly successful in targeting negative behaviors. Undoubtedly, this area of research will continue to evolve, and contingency management interventions will continue play an important role.
