Measuring and Increasing Engagement in Substance Abuse Treatment Groups

Abstract

Engaging group members is important in the treatment of alcohol and other drug (AOD) problems. Although there has been discussion about engagement in AOD treatment in the literature, there has not been a measure of engagement specifically for group work until recently. This article briefly describes the multidimensional Group Engagement Measure (GEM) and discusses the utility of the GEM for increasing engagement in AOD treatment groups. This paper provides group leaders with ideas for improving their practice, within a framework of evidence-based group work.

Key Words:

• Engagement
• group work
• group process
• evidence-based practice