The purpose of this yearly assessment is to evaluate changes associated with participation in the methadone maintenance program. Data from patients currently in the program who have been enrolled at least six months are used for this assessment. The assessment time frame is designed to cover behavior displayed within and during the last six months of program participation.

Therapeutic effectiveness indices selected for evaluation include: frequency of illicit drug use, school enrollment, gainful employment or homemaking activities, episodes of drug related health problems and involvement with law enforcement authorities.

The conclusions and programmatic implications of the study completed September 2005 is presented in Appendix B with a table summarizing findings from studies conducted within the past five years.