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STATEMENT OF PURPOSE The purpose of this research is to evaluate state usage of the community based alcohol and drug services organizations Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. AA and NA have been utilized by the courts and private sector alike to provide services for the alcoholic and addict for over 75 years. It is estimated there are about 2 million members of these groups worldwide and over 1.3 million in the US alone. It is also estimated in the US about 15% are court ordered to AA or are introduced via correctional services. AA and NA services are provided free of charge to the individual but have recently been challenged based on the supposition that sentencing individuals to a ‘spiritually based’ program violates the first amendment’s endorsement clause. To this point, states have been left alone to evaluate the complex issues attached to ‘endorsing’ or ‘sanctioning’ AA and NA involvement. This study will provide a summary of current state practices to serve this clientele. STATEMENT OF RESEARCH METHODOLOGY State community corrections workers will be contacted via telephone by the research team and provided the attached interview. The survey interview questions will focus on defining the current policy utilized by the state agencies. The survey tool utilizes a semi-structured interview, which allows the researcher the opportunity to transition based on the unique interview. The survey instrument is attached to this request. Follow-up contact with state officials or treatment professionals may occur as a part of this study. Attendance by researchers at AA or NA meetings deemed ‘open’ to the public will occur to garner a better understanding of the process of these community based programs. ANTICIPATED RISKS AND BENEFITS This study poses minimal risk to the participants. Only state community corrections workers will be contacted as a part of this interview process. Researchers will read a general statement of research prior to the interview. No inmates, residential care or members of a protected population will be contacted or addressed in these interviews. If discussion with non-official members should occur, names or identifiers will be deleted from any written work. The anticipated benefits of this study will be to provide a collective understanding of our national approach to community based addiction programs. SUBJECT SELECTION State community corrections staff will be the first point of contact for researchers. These state representatives are expected to be aware of current practices regarding state assignment to AA or NA. CONFIDENTIALITY The participant (interviewee) will be a state representative, providing background on the policy and practices related to the addicted client. Personal opinion statements will be generalized as to not be identifiable to any particular state or agency contacted. Data hardcopies will be kept in the CJLSSW Research Office, stored in a locked file cabinet for 2 years and at which time they will be shredded. PRIMARY SUPPORTING DOCUMENT Click for Word Document Extension Request on 03-12-2013 Please extend the data collection to May 1, 2013 Final Report on 05-13-2013 Data collection is complete for this study.