Dialectical behavior therapy for justice-involved veterans (DBT-J): Feasibility and acceptability

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Abstract: Justice-involved veterans are a high-risk, high-need subgroup serviced by behavioral health services within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) system. Justice-involved veterans often have complex mental health and substance use difficulties, a myriad of case management needs, and a range of criminogenic needs that are difficult to treat with traditional outpatient VHA services. The present study represents an initial evaluation of dialectical behavior therapy for justice-involved veterans (DBT-J), a novel psychotherapy program providing 16 weeks of skills-based group therapy and individualized case management services to veterans with current or recent involvement with the criminal justice system. A total of 13 veterans were successfully enrolled into this initial acceptability and feasibility trial. Results broadly suggested DBT-J to be characterized by high ease of implementation, successful recruitment efforts, strong participant attendance and retention, high treatment fidelity, and high acceptability by veteran participants, DBT-J providers, and adjunctive care providers alike. Although continued research using comparison conditions is necessary, veterans who completed participation in DBT-J tended to show reductions in criminogenic risk across the course of treatment. Cumulatively, these findings suggest DBT-J holds potential as a VHA-based intervention to address the various needs of justice-involved veterans. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

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