Keltoi is a therapeutic residential facility within the Eastern region of the Health Service Executive (HSE) that uses an innovative systemic model to provide an 8 week rehabilitation programme for former drug users. This report describes the results of a follow-up evaluation survey of 94 successive clients who attended the programme and who were between 1-and 3-years post-discharge. 100 attendees of the Keltoi programme who were (minimum) 1-year post-completion of the residential component of their treatment agreed to take part in the study, whereby the four page Maudsley Addiction Profile (MAP) was completed, as was a short qualitative interview. The cohort was recruited on a temporal basis; the first study participant was discharged on 18 November 2002, the one hundredth was discharged on 30 August 2004. This is a non-random cross-sectional field-study of a sample of 67% (100/150) of the total number of Keltoi clients to that date.
Of the 80 clients on whose responses analysis was carried out, 51% were abstinent from all illicit drugs and alcohol in 30 days pre-interview; 60% were abstinent from all illicit drugs but had consumed alcohol in the 30 day pre-interview period; and 65% were abstinent from all substances excluding alcohol and cannabis in the same period. Of the 40% of individuals who were using substances other than alcohol, only five (5.4%) were injecting drugs. Cross-sectional outcomes are also presented with respect to crime, health and risk behaviours, social and personal functioning and employment. In general, abstinent clients (including those who were abstinent excluding alcohol) reported minimal criminal activity and positive outcomes in relation to the other measures
