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Clinical Trial
. 2004 May;12(2):147-55.
doi: 10.1037/1064-1297.12.2.147.

A tale of two cities: financing two voucher programs for substance abusers through community donations

Leslie Amass  1 , Jonathan Kamien
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

A tale of two cities: financing two voucher programs for substance abusers through community donations

Leslie Amass et al. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2004 May.

Abstract

Voucher-based reinforcement therapy (VBRT) is an effective drug abuse treatment, but the cost of VBRT rewards has limited its dissemination. Obtaining VBRT incentives through donations may be one way to overcome this barrier. Two direct mail campaigns solicited donations for use in VBRT for pregnant, postpartum, and parenting drug users in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and in Los Angeles, California. In Toronto, 19% of those contacted over 2 months donated 8,000 dollars (4,000 dollars/month) of goods and services. In Los Angeles, nearly 26% of those contacted over 34 months donated 161,000 dollars (4,472dollars/month) of goods and services. Maintaining voucher programs by soliciting donations is feasible and sustainable. The methods in this article can serve as a guide for successful donation solicitation campaigns. Donations offer an alternative for obtaining VBRT rewards for substance abuse treatment and may increase its dissemination.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution (according to dollar value) of donations received to the types of donations targeted in Toronto (left) and Los Angeles (right).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Average monthly donation amounts in dollars in the Los Angeles campaign. Data are presented for quarters from July 2000 through March 2003. Amounts were estimated by surveying the prices of these goods in retail stores at the time they were donated. Amounts in parentheses are the total amount collected per quarter. Vertical lines represent + SEM.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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